This week, hundreds of law enforcement and fire service vehicles are being outfitted with new radios, allowing emergency personnel to better communicate with other agencies in the field. A total of 3,397 Motorola radios are being distributed to all municipal and county first responders.
This proactive agreement reflects the county’s quest to stay at the forefront of technology when it comes to emergency response, as the outdated technology structure of previous radios is quickly becoming obsolete.
“These state-of-the-art radios provide all county agencies with technology that will increase personnel safety and improve response times for the public,” said Assistant County Manager John Molenda. Special features such as integrated GPS, local text messaging, intelligent lighting and dual microphones will add an extra layer of safety when crews are responding to an emergency.
Lake County’s Public Safety Support team is now going through the process of swapping out the existing vehicle mobile radios in Lake County Sheriff’s Office cruisers, and training deputies on the new features of the radios. In addition to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the remaining radios will be distributed to all municipalities, County Emergency Management, Lake County Office of Emergency Medical Services, Lake County Fire Rescue, Lake County Health Department, Public Safety Support, Public Works, Transit and the Lake County School Board. Of the 3,397 radios, there are currently 2,284 that are now in service.
An interlocal agreement allowed for a Countywide Communications System, giving each agency the opportunity to participate in a lease under the county’s negotiated financial terms to purchase and identify the number of radios necessary to support their agencies. The Office of Public Safety Support worked with each agency to assist in identifying their radio and accessory needs based on their current use.
