June 06--The Medford City Council Thursday authorized spending almost $260,000 to upgrade communication gear used by the fire department.
The new portable Motorola radios will replace equipment that is nine years old and is no longer sold by Motorola.
Currently firefighters have two different radio models, and the purchase of the new equipment will improve communication and provided consistency with other emergency service providers in the area, officials said.
A total of 87 radios and auxiliary equipment will be purchased.
"These are made to survive high-heat environments," Deputy Fire Chief Justin Bates said. "These radios are primarily portable radios carried around in fires and other emergency calls."
Bates said firefighters receive extensive training for all the equipment they use, so it's important that they use the same model communication device.
"They train to operate them in the dark or in a smoky environment," Bates said. "When they turn a knob two times, they need to know what channel they are on."
The new radios have large knobs that can be turned easily with the heavy gloves used by firefighters.
Some of the features in the new radios are similar to older versions, particularly having internal electronics that don't generate sparks.
-- Damian Mann
Copyright 2014 - Mail Tribune, Medford, Ore.
