Ryan Ray
The Pensacola Police Department announced they have begun using an upgraded radio communications system Tuesday.
The new Motorola Solutions ASTRO 25 platform allows for greater interoperability or connection between different divisions and systems, the department said in a release.
Pensacola law enforcement also joined forces with Motorola and vendor CES Team One to update their dispatch center with MCC 7500 consoles and introduced more ergonomic furniture for dispatchers.
The upgrade will allow them to communicate better with Escambia County law enforcement and coordinate with police in neighboring counties.
“[P]reviously, mutual aid events and radio traffic required calls to be patched,” said Pensacola project manager Brenda Kahalley. “This new system simplifies the process down to an easy push of a button.”
A Motorola Solutions representative trumpeted the upgrade as a step forward for local law enforcers and the citizens they serve.
“Motorola Solutions’ ASTRO 25 interoperable communications network and new APX mobile and portable radios give first responders in the City of Pensacola the ability to communicate clearly and seamlessly with other public safety agencies across Escambia and neighboring counties,” said Randy Johnson, vice president for sales at the Illinois-based firm.
“A newly furnished dispatch center, complete with Motorola Solutions’ MCC 7500 dispatch consoles, means dispatchers now have the latest technology to get the word out to first responders in a timely and efficient manner.”
