
By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Every interaction with first responders can be a meaningful one in the court of law. Tuesday morning, the Barton County Commission approved the renewal of an annual Voice Logger contract. Communications Director Dena Popp explained why the technology is important.
"In 2018, Barton Communications partnered with the county attorney's office to purchase a Voice Logger," she said. "The logger is used to create audio recordings from phone calls, radio traffic, basically all sources that come into the 911 center."
The contract will expire Nov. 30, 2025, and will cost the county $9,553. Communications will foot 82 percent of the bill with the county attorney's office footing the other 18 percent to pay for the Organizer side of the technology.
"If I get a law enforcement officer who requests a tape for investigative purposes, meaning I know they're going to be sending it over for prosecution, I will make that tape," Popp said. "I will give the law enforcement agency a CD of the recordings, then I will go ahead and save it into Organizer."
Popp and Investigator Casey Hubbard agreed the technology has been greatly beneficial to both departments. The county paid the same renewal fee for the 2024 contract.