News Story
It's a red letter day for the Brigade with the switch-over this afternoon to a new communications package. The Brigade paid for its own radio network more than 20 years ago but the equipment has been slowly deteriorating with age, becoming unreliable and has been overtaken by advances in technology. The Fire Service agreed to replace the system with access to an Auckland-wide radio network, a new simplex channel for use on the incident ground and new hand-held radios (or "terminals" as they are called these days) together with microphones, battery chargers and vehicle sets. "We are grateful the New Zealand Fire Service funded our new communications equipment," Chief Fire Officer Glenn Teal says, "it's fundamental to the safety of members and efficiency of our operations'. Tait technology was chosen, the TP9455 multi-channel portable. The switch-over to the new digital technology chalks up another notable milestone for Auckland Operational Support. It's the first brigade in the NZFS to utilise the Whole of Government Radio Network overseen by Police Communications.
