Authorities are moving toward better communication.

It’s a new 800 megahertz system that acts like a private cell phone network, that way, responders from different agencies can communicate with each other.

Although rural areas are finding it hard to pay for it, emergency management and first responders attended a workshop meeting Thursday at Lake Guntersville State Park to address the issue.

DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency Director Anthony Clifton said the estimated cost would be more than $12-million to make the county compliant.

The new technology will help solve problems and could help save lives with small and large disasters. The federal government is mandating the change after failures for first responders dealing with 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Clifton said they’ll continue to seek out grant money to become compliant.

(WAFF TV 48/www.waff.com)