by Megan Schiffres
HEATHSVILLE—Clear communication among police officers, emergency medical services responders and firefighters can make the difference between a life saved and a preventable death. Without reliable technology to connect these departments to their support staff and to each other, critical information can be lost and important updates misunderstood.
In Northumberland, the county agencies that citizens rely on in times of crisis may not be equipped with the tools or the connectivity they need when responding to an emergency in the field.
“It’s very important that we are able to talk wherever we go, from transmitting back to dispatch to contacting other units,” said Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp, a member of the Northumberland radio committee.
According to Beauchamp, 80% of the radios for emergency responders including police, fire, and EMS in the county are outdated and ineffective.
“We can’t get out on the handheld so they have to take time to make it to one of the mobile radios in the car to…
