Paducah Police Chief Bridal Laird said the city and county have partnered on a multimillion‑dollar radio upgrade to address dead radio spots and improve emergency communications for police and fire responders.

"The most important thing with this project is there's so many dead spots in the city right now," Laird said, describing areas—such as parts of large stores and some schools—where handheld radios do not reliably connect to dispatch. The new radio system will replace console equipment and expand the infrastructure from one tower at the 911 center to five towers, which Laird said should allow handheld radios to work anywhere in the county and reach "above a 95% reliability, which is what the national standard is."

Laird said outdoor shelters at each site will house radio equipment, include backup generators and a fuel source, and are designed so that if one site is disabled by a tornado, fire or other incident the remaining sites will continue to operate independently. The upgrades also include replacement of dispatch consoles and radio‑related hardware inside the dispatch center.

The chief said the project has been long in the making and was advanced by the current fiscal court and city commission; he projected the new system will go live in January or February. He estimated the total cost—towers, infrastructure and radios purchased by both the city and county—at close to $10,000,000.

Laird framed the upgrade as critical to first‑responder safety and continuity of emergency services, saying the radio system is the "lifeblood" for responders who must communicate with dispatch during emergencies.

Officials said the project benefits both city and county responders and involves joint purchasing and infrastructure work. The segment did not specify exact funding sources (bonding, grants or operating funds) beyond noting radios had been reprogrammed previously with grant support.