By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
LINWOOD — The city has renewed an agreement to participate for the next seven years in the Atlantic County Radio Network (ACRN).
The regional communications network helps the city’s first-responders carry out their missions more effectively and safely, according to a resolution authorizing the agreement.
“An effective system must have reliable equipment, redundant regional capacity and regionally consistent governance to manage crowded radio frequencies and confidential communications,” the resolution states.
The ACRN is a regional system that “maximizes the ability” of each user to communicate with each other freely.
A “fragmented approach,” it states, could “interfere with effective radio communications and could jeopardize effective response to major events that require multiple agency action.”
The ACRN provides the infrastructure and oversight of the ACRN, including its towers, hardware, software and support staff.
Linwood first responders use only radios designed for use on the ACRN, but the police, fire and EMS agencies purchase and maintain their own hand-held and vehicle-based equipment. The agencies also pay for their own computer hardware and connectivity costs.
According to Michael A. Fedorko, head of the Atlantic County Department of Public Safety, stated in an email that the ACRN was created in 2004 and includes all of the county’s 23 municipalities.
He said the department is now waiting on the return of updated agreements from all of its members.