Bucks County’s $42 Million Radio Project Goes On Air Sunday

Bucks County emergency responders will start using a new radio system Sunday.

The change to a new Motorola 700 MHz radio system has been in the works for several years. With upgrades to communication towers and radios, the $42 million project involved more than 4,998 radios, county spokesman Chris Edwards said.

The county’s 40 police agencies will switch to the new radio system first Sunday, followed by fire departments and emergency medical service providers. The system will keep radio transmissions clear for the public to listen in. However, new scanners will likely be needed to keep up with area responders. 

In summer, officials reported the new system has improved quality and coverage on the streets of Bucks County and even inside buildings. New radios were tested inside all the county’s high schools and district courts. The system only faced some issues at Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown.

Throughout the spring and summer, new radios were programmed and local first responders were trained on the new system.

Early in the radio project, there was some controversy over whether the system could be encrypted. After an evaluation, county officials ruled to keep the system open for the public to listen in. For critical incidents, there are some encrypted channels set aside for police use.

Agencies and towns throughout the county have worked over the past few years to purchase pricey radios that will work on the new system. Radios for police, fire and medics range from $4,000 to $6,000 each.

In 2014, Bucks County dispatchers handled 579,800 police, fire and medical calls.