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Kennedale budgets initial radios as neighboring city encrypts radios; grants could cover more units
Summary
Staff told council Mansfield's plan to encrypt radio traffic will require Kennedale to purchase radios that support encryption; staff budgeted $24,600 initially, applied for NCTCOG and FEMA AFG grants and said grant awards could cover as many as 21 police portable radios.
Staff warned that neighboring Mansfield's plan to encrypt radio communications requires compatible portable radios for interoperability and proposed initial general-fund budgeting while pursuing grant funding.
"We've recently learned that Mansfield will be encrypting their communications, so we must also have radios that are able to be encrypted," John Horton said, explaining that the city initially included $24,600 in the budget for portable radios but that number will increase in the August 4 draft. Horton said the police applied for grant funding through the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant through FEMA; the NCTCOG application requested over $200,000 but was reduced on application review and had the city ranked 12th among applicants.
Horton said a successful NCTCOG award could fund roughly 21 police portable radios and that the city is budgeting to purchase seven portable radios for the fire department (roughly $54,000) pending grant outcomes. He framed the general-fund amounts as placeholders pending grant notifications and said all portable radios must be replaced by January to meet the new interoperability requirements.
