Homeland Security Funds

In the Trib on Thursday they said our region was awarded 8.8 million dollars. The Trib also said that the funds could be used to offset the cost of a new radio system that would enable local agencies to talk to each other. The cost, 10 million dollars. Channel 13 ran a story that showed TPD, HCSO and the U.S. Coast Guard looking for a boater and said that the pilots could not talk to each other. One even asked a dispatcher if one of the other pilots had a cell phone so they could call them directly. My question is this........did not HCSO get a new 800 radio system several years ago? Did not the new radio system include channels that allowed the agency to talk to each other? I thought that the new system dispatchers could "patch" channels not only between districts, but between agencies. If this is the case then why the need to spend this money towards a new system? Or did the powers in charge sign off on a system that ended up being something different that what was purchased?

That's a good question. I have taken part in "patch tests" with the Comm Center. I was able to communicate with Pinellas County S.O., Clearwater P.D., TPD, and TTPD. And honestly some of those units were just as clear if not more clear than some of our own units. One day flip your radio to MA Clearwater, you will be able to monitor their main radio.