Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chiefs seek county help to buy radios as Northampton expands P25 radio system; 9-1-1 staff outline grants and staffing
Summary
At the start of the hearing a county fire‑chiefs representative asked council to help departments buy radios for the recently completed countywide P25 radio infrastructure. He presented a countywide survey and cost estimates. Emergency-management and 9-1-1 staff explained the P25 buildout status, grant funding cycles, and current 9-1-1 staffing.
Joshua Peters, identifying himself as president of the county fire chiefs association, urged Northampton County Council to help fire departments acquire radios compatible with the new P25 countywide radio infrastructure the county funded last year.
Peters said he surveyed 39 fire departments and received 34 responses. The survey showed 426 radios have been purchased to date with combined funding from department budgets and grants, at a reported combined cost of about $5.1 million. Peters said an estimated 1,058 radios remain to outfit departments fully and that the additional cost to close the gap would be roughly $12.7 million based on Northampton County Emergency Management specifications and an average per‑unit cost of approximately $12,000.
Emergency Management and enhanced 9-1-1 staff briefed council on the P25 system buildout and grant funding. Staff said the county-wide P25 expansion is progressing and that some departments have already begun converting radios to the new system; other agencies remain on legacy systems while the transition continues. Emergency management staff advised that federal and state grants used to buy radios and interconnection equipment are cyclical and frequently one-time awards, which explains part of year-to-year budget variance.
9-1-1 staffing was discussed: staff reported filling 54 of 64 telecommunicator positions and 11 of 12 supervisor slots. County emergency staff said the existing legacy-system patching will remain in place during the staged conversion but that full migration depends on local departments securing radios.
Councilors asked about pooled purchasing and grant opportunities. Emergency-management staff said volume purchasing can produce discounts and that some departments pursue federal Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and other grants; county staff said municipalities can be provided letters of support. Staff said the county could assist with coordination but noted that many grants require the fire department (not the county) to be the applicant.
Clarifying details: Survey results as presented: 34 of 39 departments responded; 426 radios purchased at about $5.112 million total; estimated 1,058 radios remain at an estimated additional cost of approximately $12.696 million; average cost per radio ~ $12,000 (northampton county emergency-management specifications). 9-1-1 staffing: 54 of 64 telecommunicator positions filled and 11 of 12 supervisors filled.
Where this goes next: Councilors and emergency managers discussed letters of support for grant applications and the possibility of county-coordinated bulk purchases to achieve vendor discounts. Council did not take formal action at the hearing.
