Medford firefighters mop up a house fire off Narregan Street in Medford on April 2. Some of the radios in the new Motorola contract will include hardened equipment to withstand high temperatures endured by firefighters.

Medford City Council has approved spending $1,444,000 to upgrade emergency radios to better deal with disasters.

The Motorola contract will allow the city to buy 196 radios and other equipment as part of a countywide effort to beef up Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon.

“It’s a long time coming,” Councilor Tim D’Alessandro said last Thursday. “I think it’s going to be a great upgrade to the existing system.”

The money comes from a U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant.

Some radios will include hardened equipment to withstand high temperatures endured by firefighters.

The Medford Fire Department will receive the largest share of the radios and equipment, totaling just over $1 million of the contract. Both vehicle and handheld radios will be included.

Extra batteries, chargers, mics and other equipment are included in the contract. Installation and programming cost $167,731.90.

Medford will provide radios to public works employees, who are often called out during emergency situations.

The new radios will be in addition to 287 radios purchased by the city through another funding source.

Medford and Jackson County partners are transitioning the region’s public safety radio system to a new digital system.

The new technology should improve communication among first responders to better coordinate their efforts.

During the 2020 Almeda Fire, emergency service providers endured major gaps in communication, creating potential safety hazards and reducing efficiency. Similar communication issues occurred during the 2022 Pacific Pride fire, which destroyed a fueling station on South Central Avenue.

In 2014, Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon began preliminary work to upgrade the outdated public safety system in the county.

In 2019, voters approved a $28-million ballot measure to pay for the upgrades, which included 20 new radio towers.

After bonds were issued in 2020, inflation and other expenses created a $4.6-million shortfall to fully roll out the new system.

The Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 5701 this year, which provides $2.5 million for ECSO’s countywide emergency radio system upgrade.

Aaron Ott, emergency management coordinator for the city of Medford, said that since the bond measure passed, there have been technology changes and inflationary pressures.

Ott said the radios needed by public works have been another recent addition to the system.

The COPS grant helps bridge the funding gap, and other local governments are providing additional dollars to deal with it.

Ott said the new radios will help various local emergency service providers to better coordinate and communicate during fires and other emergencies.

The work on the communications system should be completed by 2026.

ECSO is the culmination of years of effort to provide a coordinated way to handle emergencies in the county.

In the past, various cities had separate communications systems, but over the years, Ashland, Central Point, Eagle Point and Shady Cove embraced the new, centralized model.

As consolidation talks progressed, Southern Oregon Regional Communications moved into a 16,468-square-foot facility at 400 Pech Road, Central Point, in 2009, according to the ECSO website. Medford moved its dispatch center into the new communications center the next year.

Later in 2010, the newly consolidated center became known as Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon.