Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Communications topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Village reviews DuComm agreement for upgraded fire radios; ETSB to fund most equipment
Summary
The Hinsdale Village Board discussed continuing participation in DuComm and ETSB-funded upgrades to fire radios, including new GPS- and encryption-capable units, at its Oct. 7 meeting.
The Hinsdale Village Board discussed continuing participation in the DuPage County interoperable public-safety radio system on Oct. 7 and the replacement of older radio equipment with GPS- and encryption-enabled units under an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) administered by the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB).
ZPS representative Luke (introduced by the chair as the ZPS speaker) outlined the IGA’s purpose: continuing the village’s participation in DuComm, the countywide fire and police dispatch and radio interoperability system. Luke noted Hinsdale originally entered an IGA with ETSB in 2011 and that the DuComm police radio IGA was executed by member agencies — including Hinsdale — in February 2023.
The board was told that ETSB is funded by 911 surcharges and that ETSB paid for initial radios and airtime. Under the updated arrangement, ETSB will provide new GPS-enabled and encrypted radios for positions that are dispatched to initial 911 responses. Staff estimated the value of equipment ETSB will provide at approximately $179,000.
Fire department officials advised the board that seven additional radios used by the department (for the fire prevention bureau and certain captains/managers) would not meet ETSB eligibility for funded radios. The transcript records staff remarking that the cost for these additional radios would be “$15.88” as stated in the meeting and that annual service fees would be approximately $2,856 per year; staff described the out-of-budget cost as “roughly $4,500” and said it was manageable. (The meeting transcript contains an ambiguous figure for the one-time cost of the non-ETSB radios; the number appears inconsistent and should be confirmed by staff before any procurement.)
Village President Greg Hart, who said he worked in the public-safety technology sector, encouraged the effort and noted the importance of NextGen 911 services, location-based routing and situational awareness tools for first responders.
No formal vote or contract authorization was recorded at the Oct. 7 meeting; the IGA was presented and discussed as a standing intergovernmental matter and appears to be aligned with actions taken by other DuComm member agencies.
