Burlington County Moves Forward With Communications Upgrades

Burlington County officials have reached an agreement with Motorola so that it can move forward with a project to upgrade public safety communications throughout the county.

Motorola will supply and install all of the core radio project components, microwave system, radio tower equipment, outfit the county’s 9-1-1 dispatch center, begin tower construction and phone system design, Burlington County Freeholder Deputy Director Kate Gibbs announced.

“Emergency communications is so critical to the safety and well-being of every man, woman, and child in Burlington County,” Gibbs said. “This upgrade project allows all of the county’s first responders to operate on a comprehensive, state of the art, emergency radio system and will provide police, fire and emergency medical services with new radio equipment at no cost to local taxpayers. This project ensures that we will continue to effectively meet the emergency and safety needs of our residents for years to come.”

The county began overhauling its public safety communications system as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year.

The project includes switching from a 500 megahertz (MHz) frequency, to an exclusive, public safety only 700 MHz frequency. The move will allow for better coverage and communications by eliminating interference from TV stations using 500 MHz broadcasting. The upgrade is designed to help save lives by providing dispatchers with more information on where an emergency is taking place.

During Phase One of the upgrade, the county obtained 700 MHz licenses and design of the radio system, including site engineering and approvals.

Phase Two included 9-1-1 phone system engineering and procurement, microwave system implementation, commercial wireless tower leasing and component coverage and testing. This week’s announcement constitutes Phase Three of the project, which is expected to be finished in 2019.

Said Gibbs: “The Freeholder Board sincerely thanks our professional and volunteer first responders throughout the county as they are all invaluable to our communities. This upgrade project will better serve those who have dedicated their lives protecting the safety of our residents.”

Patch file photo