State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

State aging public safety radio network to be replaced by enhanced digital system

Boston Globe: The state’s aging public safety radio network will be phased out and replaced by an updated digital system, providing more comprehensive radio coverage for law enforcement and first responders around Massachusetts, State Police announced Tuesday.

Officials say an updated radio grid will allow for various public safety agencies to better respond to criminal, terrorist, or natural disaster incidents in Massachusetts.

The upgraded network, dubbed the Commonwealth Interoperable Radio System, will be rolled out over five years by State Police officials working in cooperation with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, State Police said in a statement Tuesday. By replacing the current analog system with an improved digital model, officials hope that CoMIRS will allow state and local agencies to better communicate with each other in emergency situations, on a more reliable and expansive network.

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