[Scan-DC] Prince George's County's new radio system

[Alan Henney]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
From: PressRoom at co.pg.md.us [PressRoom at co.pg.md.us]
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 3:42 PM
Subject: Prince George's County News

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release:

November 5, 2007

For more information:
John E. Erzen
Press Information Officer
Prince George's County
Office of the County Executive

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HELD
FOR FIRST 800 MHZ RADIO TOWER

BOWIE, MD - Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson joined
county officials and representatives from Motorola today for a
groundbreaking ceremony for the first of 15 towers to be constructed
by the county for the new 800 MHz communications system.

"For years, Prince George's County has been referred to as the hole in
the middle of the region because we were the only jurisdiction that
did not have an 800 MHZ radio system, but that is no longer the case,"
Johnson said.  "All of our public safety agencies will now be able to
talk to surrounding areas.  The 800 MHZ radio system will further
enhance the delivery of public safety to the citizens and residents of
Prince George's County and provide another level of protection for
them and for our public safety personnel on the streets."

The groundbreaking comes a little more than three years after the
county began negotiating to replace the current radio system which was
installed more than 20 years ago.  An agreement with Motorola to build
the system was signed just over a year ago.

The $68 million project should take approximately two more years to
complete.  Of the 21 radio towers being used for the system, three are
existing towers from the county's current system that can be converted
to the 800 MHZ.

As part of this new system, the county will have an Automatic Vehicle
Locator program.  This will allow public safety agencies to see where
all of their public safety vehicles are on the streets and allow them
to deploy the closest units in the event of an emergency.

This new radio system will have all of the latest technologies
available and Prince George's County will be one of only two
jurisdictions in the entire country to have all of the technology.
Seattle, Washington is the other jurisdiction.

Motorola is the largest supplier of land mobile radio systems for
public safety in the United States.  They have provided public safety
radio networks for many local governments in this region.

"We have built first class public safety agencies with first class
people, first class facilities and first class equipment.  Now, we
will have a first class radio system to go with that," Johnson said.

###