The city of portsmouth public safety communications upgrades include the transformation of our existing public safety communication system to a reliable and interoperable P25 LMR communication…

The City of Portsmouth, Virginia, is the recipient of a $3,000,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.753 Congressionally Recommended Awards) to upgrade the city's public safety communications system.

The grant funding will enable the city to transform its existing public safety communications infrastructure into a reliable and interoperable Project 25 (P25) Land Mobile Radio (LMR) system. This includes the acquisition of upgraded radios and handheld devices for use by the Portsmouth Police Department, Fire Department, Sheriff's Department, and local Emergency Medical Services. The project aims to enhance communication capabilities and interoperability across federal, state, and local emergency response agencies operating within the city and the Hampton Roads region. These communications upgrades are crucial for the city's efforts to protect lives and prevent property damage during emergency events.

The city of portsmouth public safety communications upgrades include the transformation of our existing public safety communication system to a reliable and interoperable P25 LMR communication system with upgraded equipment (radios and handhelds) to be used by the citys public safety personnel for emergency response. The recently completed first phase of the project included an upgrade of the P25 LMR communication system that included the addition of a 2ND city-owned communications tower. Replacement of the older hand-held and portable P25 radio equipment is the next phase of this project. The LMR technology is critically important for the portsmouth police department, fire department, sheriff department, and local emergency medical services (EMS) to respond to an emergency event within the city of portsmouth and hampton roads area efficiently and effectively. IT is necessary that the city of portsmouth public safety personnel be able to communicate with multi-jurisdiction agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. This project aims to address the critical communication required of emergency response agencies and personnel to protect the publics safety and security in the event of an emergency. The communications upgrades will increase the reliability and effectiveness for communication when conducting interagency and intergovernmental operations. IT will also offer social benefits by ensuring peace-of-mind with a more reliable emergency response system and options for better real-time communication during an event. This project is crucial in the citys continued effort to protect lives and prevent potential damage to property.