Pensacola Police Department to deploy upgraded communications system

On Tuesday, December 15, Pensacola Police Department will begin using a new mission-critical communications system that will improve interoperability between counties for first responder coordination and response.

The City of Pensacola will connect to Escambia County’s Motorola Solutions ASTRO® 25 network, meaning first responders will be able to communicate seamlessly with other agencies across the county, Florida and neighboring states. The upgrade allows departments and agencies to share one system, yet manage and maintain control over their own talk-group, encryption keys and configuration data.

The City of Pensacola also teamed up with Motorola Solutions and CES Team One to update the dispatch center. The project included the addition of new Motorola Solutions MCC 7500 dispatch consoles and the latest in ergonomic furniture designed to help dispatchers do their jobs more quickly and efficiently during emergencies.

The MCC 7500 Console is the digital computer connections to the P25 core system that Escambia County also purchased in 2010. This will be the first time the Pensacola Police dispatchers will be connected to the P25 core system. The Pensacola Police Department will also be equipped with Motorola Solutions’ APX P25 portable and mobile radios for clear, reliable communications during any event or emergency.

"Motorola Solutions’ ASTRO 25 interoperable communications network and new APX mobile and portable radios give first responders in the City of Pensacola the ability to communicate clearly and seamlessly with other public safety agencies across Escambia and neighboring counties,” said Randy Johnson, vice president of sales, Motorola Solutions. “A newly furnished dispatch center, complete with Motorola Solutions’ MCC 7500 dispatch consoles, means dispatchers now have the latest technology to get the word out to first responders in a timely and efficient manner.”

City of Pensacola Project Manager, Brenda Kahalley stated, “previously, mutual aid events and radio traffic required calls to be patched. This new system simplifies the process down to an easy push of a button.” This project also reduces the cost of providing radio service to all three counties with a shared site, shared maintenance and shared operating costs. The new system will provide a greater footprint and signal strength across all counties with shared channels.

“Motorola Solutions and CES Team One have done an excellent job transforming the Pensacola Police dispatch into a state of the art space that combines sophisticated technology, modular adaptability and climate control for the dispatch workers,” Kahalley said.

This project required the expertise and coordination of Motorola Solutions to make this transition with an uninterrupted flow of 911 calls and radio traffic for the City of Pensacola.

City officials wish to thank the Communications Chiefs, Emergency Management Directors and Public Safety leaders at Escambia County and Santa Rosa County for the willingness to work as a team to form a stronger radio community.