New City Radio System Coordinates Public, Private Medics

The City of Philadelphia has announced what it calls a significant improvement to emergency preparedness.

KYW's John McDevitt reports that it's a cooperation partnership between the public and private sectors.

Mayor Michael Nutter was in the radio room of the Fire Administration Building, at 3rd and Spring Garden Streets, testing the city's new "interoperability" channel.

The state-funded system will provide contact among  Philadelphia's fire communications center, city paramedic crews, and private ambulances in the event of a major emergency.

The mayor described the goal of the new system:

"We must be able to coordinate with the many nongovernmental, non-municipal ambulances throughout our city.  There are 50 companies they deploy about 300 ambulances throughout our city.  In the past there was no easy way for fire communications to be in touch with those entities, those organizations in real time."

Eighty of the non-municipal ambulances are equipped with the radio system so far.  Officials say it will not be used for overflow on a daily basis but reserved at this point for response to major emergencies.

(Photo by KYW's John McDevitt)