By VICKI BROWN
Mandatory radio upgrades are planned for city agencies soon before they become obsolete.
Police Chief Wade Marvin and Fire Chief Paul Seigler advised Walterboro City Council at a recent city council meeting that all handheld and vehicle radios for police and fire must be updated. If the mandatory update is completed prior to June 30, 2022, a 37-percent discount will be applied.
The Walterboro City Police and Fire Departments received an email from the Palmetto 800 Advisory Committee in reference to a mandatory upgrade for all handheld and in vehicle radios. The email stated that the TDMA flash is not applied to the city’s current radios, and they will become obsolete. The city would have to purchase all new radios in the future at a cost of $5,400 to $6,000 dollars apiece, and the agencies currently have 103 radios.
Instead of purchasing new radios, the police and fire chief recommended the City of Walterboro purchase the TDMA flash upgrade now at the discount price of $51,276.76.
The upgrade can only be done through Motorola Solutions. There is capacity in the FY 2021-2022 General Fund budget to absorb this mandatory expenditure.
