The Tasmania Fire Service and State Emergency Service will officially make the move to the highly encrypted Tasmanian Government Radio Network (TasGRN) today.
Both organisations will join Tasmania Police on the network, which will significantly increase radio communication reach across the state, providing coverage in areas that were previously inaccessible.
The upgrade will give firefighters and rescue crews better voice clarity and improved safety with duress functionality and GPS location built into each radio.
With a $763 million price tag, TasGRN is the most extensive upgrade to multi-agency emergency radio communications in Tasmania’s history and brings together TFS, SES, police, paramedics and other agencies onto a single network.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Felix Ellis says Tasmania is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to have all emergency services operating on a single, secure radio network.
“Already our TFS and SES have used TasGRN as part of search and rescue activities, fuel reduction burns, and during the response to the fires that impacted Coles Bay, Friendly Beaches and surrounds last week,” Ellis said.
