Crime & Safety

Improving Communications: New Radio Equipment For Beaumont Police

Beaumont upgrades to 800 Megahertz, retains VHF to communicate with Banning police and Cal Fire outside Beaumont. Switch will help eliminate areas of poor reception, and puts city police on same wavelength with other county, state and federal agencies.

Housing growth and expansion of residential developments in Beaumont  have made radio communications "challenging," Police Chief Frank Coe told elected city officials more than two years ago.

Even with previous expansion of the VHF radio system, there were still areas of the city that did not have good portable radio coverage, Coe said in a report to the City Council in May 2008.

Communications in Beaumont are about to improve.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Monday morning workers were busy installing new radio equipment in the Beaumont police dispatch center and in individual patrol cars, a step in a communications upgrade that will cost the city $2.8 million.

Police officers will also be equipped with new hand-held portable radios as part of the upgrade.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The City Council in November 2008 authorized an outlay of $3.5 million, so the final total is under budget, Beaumont police Support Services director Kari Mendoza said Monday.

Neighborhoods where police and other city agencies will get better radio performance will include south Highland Springs and off San Timoteo Canyon Road.

"We wouldn't call them 'dead zones,' but we get scratchy reception in some areas," Mendoza said.

The upgrade to a five-channel trunked 800 Megahertz system will put Beaumont police on the same wavelength with other county, state and federal public safety agencies in the event of a major emergency, Mendoza said.

Airwave Communications workers installed the new Motorola equipment Monday, Mendoza said.

"Whether it's a big fire or a pursuit that comes through here, we'll be able to better communicate with other agencies," Beaumont spokeswoman Darci Mulvihill said.

Beaumont will retain VHF capability to communicate with Banning police and Cal Fire-Riverside County, which provides fire services in Beaumont and Banning.

All Cal Fire-Riverside County vehicles and stations are on VHF, Perris-based Cal Fire Capt. Jeremy Snyder said Monday.

But local Cal Fire truck crews in Beaumont will receive at least one new radio per truck to communicate on Beaumont's new system, Mendoza said.

San Bernardino County fire and sheriff's departments are both on 800 MHz radio systems, Sue Hood, a fire communications supervisor in Rialto said Monday.


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