Apr 13, 2005 12:44 PM

For the second consecutive year, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has obtained legislative approval to provide $13 million in funds to pay for upgrades to the Michigan Public Safety Communications System, according to a story published yesterday in the Detroit News.

Critics of the action note that the statewide system was supposed to support itself through user fees, but the state has spent $25 million in supplemental money the last two years to maintain the $221 million system. Last year’s $12 million came from the state funds earmarked to pay for 911 upgrades.

In addition, many public-safety agencies decline to use the decade-old mobile-car system, claiming it is outdated, does not support handheld radios and is subject to interference from cell-phone transmissions.

Advocates of the system note that it provides Michigan first responders with interoperability at a reasonable cost—a $25-per-radio activation fee and $200-per-radio annual service fee. There are 16,000 radios on the system, half of which are owned by state agencies, according to the news report.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media, Inc.