How New Radio Equipment Will Help Temple Terrace Police Keep You Safe

Temple Terrace’s interagency communication is about to improve.

The city has been awarded a $444,801 grant that it will use to help replace its portable public radio communications system, according to a city press release.

The new system will put Temple Terrace police and fire communications on the same communications platform as their counterparts with Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, and other regional public safety partners.

Right now, they’re using a VHF P25 system that is unable to connect with neighboring jurisdictions without a patch, and the patch is unreliable, police officials said.

“Moving to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office communication platform will increase the safety of our first responders and will improve the effectiveness of both departments by providing us with enhanced coverage within buildings and throughout the county,” said Temple Terrace Police Chief Ken Albano in the release. “It gives us real-time, reliable interoperable communications at the flip of a switch. Having the support of our local public safety partners is really what it took to secure this funding.”

The new system costs a total of $1.3 million, officials said, and a portion of it is being paid for by money the city received from the estate of Dovie Hamby, the mother of Sandra Prince. Prince went missing in 2006.

The city will receive $278,653 in grant money this year as part of the Public Safety 800/700MHz Radio Migration Project, and another $166,148 during fiscal year 2014, which will be used to purchase the remainder of the required portable radio equipment, the release states.

“The City Council is using every opportunity it has to bring taxpayers’ money home to Temple Terrace,” said City Manager Gerald Seeber in the release. Over the past several years, the City Council has been awarded more than $12 million in grant money.

Here’s a breakdown of various awards, according to the release:

Temple Terrace Police Department — $750,000 in grant money over the past four years

Temple Terrace Fire Department — more than $2.7 million in grants for additional firefighters, pre-hospital care equipment, Knox Boxes, facility improvements and other uses

Temple Terrace Public Works Department — more than $6 million in grant money for projects like the Interstate 75 utility relocation, the 56th Street corridor improvements, Telecom Park roadway extension and Temple Heights street enhancements

Temple Terrace Leisure Services Department — more than $1.7 million in grants for parks and playground equipment, athletic field improvements, facility renovations and more