The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is paying forward its good fortune from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The Commission is providing up to 250 of its used MARCS Motorola radios to local fire and police departments who requested them during an application process. Deliveries began this week to the Ravenna Police Department and to the Streetsboro Fire and Police Departments.
MARCS is a 700/800 MHz radio and data network. It uses state-of-the-art trunked technology to provide statewide interoperability in digital clarity to users throughout Ohio and a 10-mile radius outside of Ohio. MARCS provides statewide, secure, reliable wireless communication for public safety and first responders.
“In an effort to promote MARCS and the overall interoperability between the Ohio Turnpike and first responders in its neighboring communities, we decided to pay our good fortune forward,” said Executive Director Randy Cole. “These radios are still in good working condition and are expected to last another 3-5 years.”
“Moving to the MARCS radio system can be a very challenging endeavor for smaller municipalities such as Streetsboro due to the high cost of equipment,” said Streetsboro Police Chief Darin W. Powers. “The radios from the Ohio Turnpike will help our safety forces make that move sooner by providing us with a more reliable and interoperable communication system.”
The radios became available when the commission decided to purchase new ones. They were originally provided to the Ohio Turnpike through a shared services agreement with the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
MARCS radios have been or will be donated to the following 23 fire or police departments in northern Ohio:
Amherst Fire Department
Brady Township Fire Department
Charlestown Township Fire Department
Deerfield Township Fire Department
Edinburg Fire Department
Florence Township Fire Department
Fulton Co. EMA
Groton Township Fire Department
Harris-Elmore Fire Department
Jackson Twp. Fire Department
Mantua-Shalersville Fire District
Palmyra Township Fire Department
Paris Township Fire Department
Ravenna Fire Department
Ravenna Police Department
Ravenna Township Fire Department
Rootstown Fire Department
Streetsboro Fire Department
Streetsboro Police Department
Wauseon Fire Department
Windham Village Police Department
Windham Township Fire Department
Woodville Fire Department
First responder departments still interested in the program may contact Cory Skoczen, Ohio Turnpike Safety Services Manager, at 440-971-2040.
