Approval of a new emergency radio network on April 28 will mean about 630 new radios for Renton’s first responders and more reliable communications.
Voters are now considering increasing property taxes by 7 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to pay for the new network, estimated to cost about $240 million. That works out to about $2 a month for an average-priced home in King County.
The Renton City Council heard a briefing Monday on the network from Marlin Blizinsky with the Public Safety Emergency Radio Network replacement project.
The network includes the radios used by emergency personnel and other government agencies, such as schools and public works, and the communications systems used in the dispatch centers, including the regional dispatch center, Valley Communications in Kent.
The radios are a key piece of equipment for emergency personnel and others who respond to everything from traffic accidents to major events such as earthquakes, major storms, riots or other man-made events.
Today’s emergency radio network was constructed in 1992 for a smaller population than today and covered 94 percent of King County’s geographic area. The new system will cover 97 percent of the county and provide stronger signals that will penetrate buildings, something that doesn’t always happen today.
Every emergency responder in King County will get a new radio. For Renton, that means 262 radios for law enforcement, 365 radios for the fire department and five for school security officers.
Don Persson, a Renton City Council member who served 33 years in the Renton Police Department, knows first-hand the importance of having radios work all the time. A new network was needed starting about 20 years ago, he said at Monday’s council meeting.
There’s nothing scarier, he said, for a police officer, firefighter or other emergency services workers “to be in an emergency situation and not have the damn radio work. You get out there, you push the button, you expect someone to hear you when you’re yelling for help.”
He personally knows there are many “dead spots” where radio signals don’t reach. “We have had officers hurt because they are yelling for help and no one could hear them,” he said.
There are certain locations at the emergency room at Valley Medical Center where radios won’t work, he said.
“I personally know this is a system we need to do an update,” he said.
Mayor Denis Law reminded council members that they weren’t in a position to either oppose or support the measure.
Blizinsky stressed that the new network will have more transmission towers, which will mean stronger signals capable of penetrating buildings
To ensure coverage, the system initially will be tested every tenth of a square mile and each city will have coverage targets a vendor for the new system must meet.
“We have coverage specifications for each city and the vendor will have to meet the testing targets for each city so we don’t have big holes like we do now.”
The Renton Police Guild supports the new network.
“We recognize the importance of efficient and effective communication,” said Renton Police Officer Ralph Hyett, the guild president.
“There are dead spots in the city where the radios do not receive or transmit. This could result in the loss of critical communication between the dispatcher and the emergency responder or between the emergency responder and fellow co-workers.
“The system is outdated and the supplier will stop supporting the system soon,” Hyett said.
Recognizing that Renton residents work hard for their money and want accountability for the use of tax funds, the guild believes the cost “is money well spent to enhance the safety of our residents and the emergency personnel that watch over them.”
