Emergency responders on the West Shore will be working with a new hero soon.
In the coming months, agencies such as the Langford, View Royal, Metchosin, Highlands and Colwood fire departments and ambulances and will be upgrading their aging radios to the new HRO (pronounced hero) system.
B次元官网网址淚 think user agencies are anxious to get on to the new system. I think theyB次元官网网址檙e pretty thrilled about what the next platform offers them,B次元官网网址� said Gord Horth, general manager of Capital Region Emergency Service Telecommunications (CREST). B次元官网网址淚 think the project is going well and weB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to turning it on all across the region.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: CREST upgrades almost operational in Capital Region
The three-phased approach began with upgrades to the downtown core, where emergency crews in Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich and Esquimalt have already been testing the new HRO system, and will make the full switch in June.
Phase two includes upgrades to systems in the West Shore and the Saanich Peninsula.
Horth said theyB次元官网网址檙e currently in the process of building or securing sites to allow the technology to reach all areas of the region. TheyB次元官网网址檝e been in discussions to build a site on Bear Mountain, at View RoyalB次元官网网址檚 fire hall, one in Colwood and another near Sooke.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been putting a lot of effort into it. We think the timetable is realistic,B次元官网网址� Horth said. B次元官网网址淩ight now, we think the sites that weB次元官网网址檝e identified in the West Shore, weB次元官网网址檒l be given the green light to move toward and start building.B次元官网网址�
A few sites have also been identified to expand service as the population continues to grow in the future.
The intention is to test the new system in the fall on the West Shore and have the new system fully transitioned by late this year.
RELATED: Motorola lands $13.1-million CREST contract
The HRO system will offer a number of benefits including improved audio clarity, better coverage and more channels, meaning higher capacity during peak hours.
B次元官网网址淚nstead of getting perhaps a busy signal for a couple of seconds before getting the go-ahead tones to talk, youB次元官网网址檒l just get an instant go ahead tones,B次元官网网址� Horth said.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 capacity increase, thereB次元官网网址檚 audio clarity and coverage gain.B次元官网网址�
The new radios are part of a $25 million expenditure announced by CREST in June of last year to replace the units that are aging out.
There are about 50 different agencies involved in the radio replacement, including fire departments, police departments, ambulance services and transit.
Like us on and follow us on
