Obsolete San Diego (CA) fire and police department radios will be replaced under a $51 million contract the city has with Motorola Solutions Inc., reports sandiegouniontribune.com.
The city will use bond proceeds to pay for the upgrades under a financing plan approved in August, according to the report.
The deal will replace more than 7,000 radios that police, firefighters, and dispatchers use. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials say there are two key benefits to the upgrade: The radios will meet national standards and the new technology will improve GPS capabilities.
The upgrades mark the final step in a modernization project; the city has over the past three years made upgrades to its public safety radio communication infrastructure and mountaintop towers to transition from analog to digital technology, the report says.
The upgrades will happen in two phases, officials say. In January, 5,000 hand-held radios and 35 dispatcher control stations will be upgraded for $28.5 million; a year later, about 2,500 vehicle-mounted radios will be replaced for $14 million; and an additional $8.5 million will be spent as needed for accessories, training, repairs, and future upgrades, the report says.
