$963,000 in Federal Funding Secured for Critical Radio Communications Upgrades
On Thursday, August 29, Congressman Salud Carbajal highlighted $963,000 in federal funding secured for the City’s Public Safety Radio Infrastructure Project. City Administrator Kelly McAdoo, Mayor Randy Rowse, Congressmen Carbajal, and California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis spoke about how these improvements will enhance emergency response capabilities and system reliability, significantly boosting community safety and preparedness during critical incidents.
"This is a momentous day for us. As mayor and my fellow councilmembers, our job is the day-to-day quality of life for our citizens, and that starts,... first and foremost, with our public safety officials, and any tools that can help our public safety officials do their job" Mayor Rowse stated.
Congressman Salud Carbajal said, “It was a no-brainer because this funding has so many positive effects for our community. By upgrading our radio systems, we will improve responsive time and reliability to emergencies, disasters, and instances where Santa Barbara relies on its First Responders.”
The Public Safety Radio Infrastructure Project, which has a total project cost of 12 million dollars, aims to repair and replace aging infrastructure, including radio towers and backup power supplies, essential for maintaining effective communication during natural disasters and daily emergencies.
"Santa Barbara is an incredibly beautiful place, but our unique location comes with some significant public safety challenges," emphasized Ms. McAdoo. "The ability of our first responders to communicate with each other is critical at any point during the year but particularly during disasters, so this funding will help us begin the replacement of an almost 30-year radio system…and that really is the backbone of our public safety response system."
Project Background:
Santa Barbara operates a network of 11 sites across the City making up its radio communications system. The current system is over 30 years old, and requires parts that have not been supported by the manufacturer for 15 years. The upgraded system supported by this funding, which will allow each site to operate autonomously without additional equipment, will reduce communication failures resulting from weather events and improve the City’s ability to communicate during natural disasters.