§15-14-7. Maintenance and Operations of the Statewide Interoperable Network; personnel; assets; agreements.

(a) The director may employ such technical, clerical, legal counsel, stenographic and other personnel, fix their compensation and make expenditures within the appropriation to the agency or from other funds made available for the purpose of providing interoperable communications services to carry out the purpose of this article.

(b) All equipment, structures, property, and personnel along with their equipment and vehicles, owned, managed, directed, controlled, and governed by the Department of Health associated with the statewide interoperable radio and/or microwave network and medical command radio system, are transferred to, incorporated in and administered as a part of the WVDHSEM: Provided, That medical command radio system communication equipment, not including the microwave and SIRN equipment, and personnel located in the medical coordination center at Flatwoods, West Virginia shall continue to be managed, directed, controlled, and governed by the Department of Health and are not included in the transfer authorized by this subsection.

(c) The director may acquire in the name of the state by purchase, lease or gift, real property and rights or easements necessary or convenient to construct thereon the necessary building or buildings for housing Radio Network employees, equipment or infrastructure.

(d) The director or his or her designee may enter into cooperative agreements, land and tower leases, memorandums of understanding/agreement, training contracts or service contracts with political subdivisions of the state, other states, federal agencies, and with public or private agencies for use by the radio network.

(e) The WVDHSEM is exempt from the requirements and associated fees of any local ordinances of any political subdivision of the state relating to the construction of towers or other infrastructure for use by the Radio Network to enhance interoperable communications.

(f) The WVDHSEM shall support a unified approach to interoperable communications across state, county, and municipal government, to include:

(1) Providing ongoing assistance and support to the state’s Medical Command System; and

(2) Providing ongoing assistance and support to state agencies in the development of interoperable and emergency communications plans or projects.