Murfreesboro Police Chief Glenn Chrisman was on the WGNS' Action Line radio show and said that the current two-way radio system will be replaced this year.

Chrisman said, "Two-way radios are the life link between the emergency responder and the victim, and good communication is often essential to saving a life." 

The radios currently used by Murfreesboro Police operate in the 460 megahertz band, while Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue are in the 154 megahertz band. Chrisman explained that the communications infrastructure for both police and fire will switch to the 700 megahertz band this year, and enable all responders to communicate with each other. The switch to this type of radio and data system is in keeping with what the state and other large police departments are doing.

He noted, "A major weakness was uncovered in New York City on 9/11 when police, firefighters and other emergency responders could not communicate with each other.  This is an effort to correct that problem in Murfreesboro." 

Chrisman hopes to have 3 towers completed and all of the old UHF-VHF infrastructure replaced before 2013 ends. Each tower will be approximately 300-feet tall, and the chief noted that there is a likelihood that a fourth tower will be needed to make the system work as it should.

Chief Chrisman said, “We are not in a vacuum, and this new system will be designed to improve communication between the city police and the sheriffs’ office as well as all other emergency responders.”