Stanly County’s new $8 million 911 radio system fails to provide reliable communication on the county’s east side or in the shadows of Morrow Mountain. Roughly 3 percent of the county falls in a dead zone in terms of emergency communications and dispatch. The area most impacted lies around Badin and within the East Side Volunteer Fire Department district, according to County Manager Andy Lucas. Dale Ward, president of the Badin Volunteer Fire Department Board of Directors and former fire chief, said it’s just a matter of time before the breakdown results in a tragedy.