By Stefanie Scott
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WAUWATOSA, Wisc. — The Fire Department will receive almost $36,000 to replace outdated radios needed during emergencies.
The 22 new radios will offer more reliable access to mutual aid channels so Wauwatosa can correspond with other emergency response agencies during large-scale disasters, such as floods, snow storms or an attack on private communications networks.
The department’s old VHF radios will become obsolete within a year due to re-banding, so new radios are necessary, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Rice said. The grant money will buy mobile radios to mount on rigs. The city will need to find money in its budget to buy portable radios for each firefighter to carry on-scene.
With some additional programming, the radios will be compatible with the Wisconsin Interoperability System for Communications, which is anticipated to provide 95 percent mobile radio coverage across the state. It’s expected to launch in July, but it could be a slow process, Rice said.
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