The Endicott Police Department can now better communicate with the rest of law enforcement and other first responders in Broome County as it has become the first in the county to go online with the new Public Safety Radio Network.  

Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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Some of the radio systems in the county date back to the 1970s and fizzled out when officers from the far reaches of some municipalities tried to call in to the central communications facility in the Town of Dickinson or other neighboring departments.  New York State Senator, Republican Fred Akshar of Binghamton and Democrat Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo of Endwell helped acquire funding for the $23-million. 

The pair forwarded legislation in Albany that changed some rules so that Broome County would be able to use temporary surcharges to landlines and cellular telephone bills to finance the replacement of the old radios and supporting equipment. 

In the event of a large incident that requires response of personnel from multiple police, medic, fire and other emergency agencies, an updated communications system that eliminates anomalies where one agency can’t hear another’s transmission, can save several minutes in response time for mutual aid and is potentially a life-saver. 

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The Broome County new Public Safety Radio Network is a multi-year effort to replace the 50-year-old emergency communication network and is considered by officials to be a huge undertaking. 

The project to build out the network is being led by the Broome County Office of Emergency Services and has been supported by the members of the Broome County Legislature. 

The rest of Broome County’s 54 first responder agencies are due to be updated by the summer of next year.

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