HOLLY SPRINGS - The Holly Springs Police Department will get a $235,000 upgrade to its communications center following action by state lawmakers that allows governments to more freely spend money for emergency calls.

The new flexibility will allow the town to purchase two dispatcher work stations.

In the past, towns were only able to spend 911 tax revenue on equipment to answer emergency calls - but not to process the call or ensure emergency aid is received.

The General Assembly relaxed the rules this month.

Such revenues now can be spent on leasing, purchasing and maintaining radios for emergency dispatch calls.

The upgraded work stations in Holly Springs could enhance the town's emergency response and could also facilitate police radio upgrades.

Doing so would allow the department to communicate more efficiently with neighboring towns.

The Holly Springs Police department would like to purchase 50 mobile 800mHz radio consoles for its police fleet and 25 additional handheld radios for its officers.

The 800mHz radios would link the department to a statewide radio system, called the VIPER system, which links state and local public safety agencies.

The Holly Springs Police Department would be the last in Wake County to tie into the VIPER network.

Herring said response to hurricane or flood damage or a tragedy - such as the Apex Target shooting in May - could be enhanced by a shared communications network with neighboring jurisdictions.

Most of the town's neighboring municipalities operate under mutual aid agreements. Basically, the closest emergency responder, no matter which town they serve, will respond first.

Without these new radios, said Herring, the department can't easily respond to live dispatches from neighboring towns.

"Other agencies would have to call our dispatch center first or call one of our cell phones if they have the number," he said.

"Money for those radios hasn't been identified yet," said town spokesman Mark Andrews.

But Andrews says this new state law saves the town considerable funding, and has moved the town's emergency communication system one big step forward.