Port Coquitlam Fire and Emergency Services is switching to the E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network, a move the department says will allow for better communication with other emergency officials in the Tri-Cities.
According to a press release, it will be the first time Port Coquitlam has been on the same system as Coquitlam and Port Moody, and the network links seamlessly with police and ambulance services.
“By joining the wide-area radio network, we are increasing inter-operability between all emergency service agencies, which ultimately means a safer working environment for first responders,” said Port Coquitlam Fire Chief Nick Delmonico.
Last year, agencies using E-Comm’s radio system began moving to a new state-of-the-art network in a planned technology upgrade. According to a press release, PoCo’s fire department will now join more than 30 agencies operating on the new network, providing first responders with enhanced audio clarity, increased coverage and better security.
“There are 61,000 residents of Port Coquitlam who rely on firefighters to keep them safe and to protect their property,” PoCo Mayor Greg Moore said in the release. “Our residents can take comfort in knowing that their firefighters have the right technology at their sides.”
The E-Comm Wide-Area Radio Network is the largest multi-jurisdictional emergency radio system in British Columbia and is used by police, fire and ambulance personnel within Metro Vancouver and parts of the Fraser Valley.
In 2017, firefighters, police and paramedics broadcast radio messages approximately 130 million times.
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