New radio system that played 'lifesaving role' in Fort McMurray launched across Alberta

A new radio communications system forfirst responders that is credited with saving lives in the Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation has been launched across Alberta.

Thenew system was pressed into action on May 3, when a wildfire threatened the city of FortMcMurray.

The system "played apivotolpart, and I may say a lifesaving role, during the FortMcMurraywildfire crisis," said Brad Grainger, deputy chief of the FortMcMurrayfire department.

Currently, all police, emergency medical and fire services in Alberta use their own stand-alone radio systems that reachothers within their own organization butgenerally do not communicate across groups.

Starting on July 1, the newAlberta First Responders Radio Communications System (AFRRCS)will use asystem of hundreds of radio towers to create a network available to all emergency personnel.

On May 3, the wildfire severely damaged theradio tower causing theentire communications network to go down, Grainger explained.

Provincial officials immediately sent portable radios and a mobile unitto FortMcMurray, he said,with first responders relying on cellphones to communicate during aperiod of about two hours.

System aided in safe evacuation

Grainger credits the new system with aiding officials in the safe evacuation ofover 90,000 people, and in saving 93 per cent of the community from being destroyed by fire.

"We would not have been able to respond and co-ordinate over 32 different fire departments, first responders, that came to our aidand stayed with us during the peak of the wildfires," Grainger said..

Later on May 3, the 9-1-1 communications centre went down and was also evacuated, he said,

"It was (the system)that allowed us to use our portable communication and literally took 9-1-1 calls in the back of a moving emergency vehicle as we travelled down the highway," Grainger said.

It's about safety, minister says

The system has been eight years in the making, and will cost$438 million,Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley saidThursday.

Yearly upkeep and rental cost for the towers will be an additional$17 million for the province, she added.

"This provincewide radio system will ensure that the people who keep us safe every day have the communication network they need to respond as quickly and asco-ordinated as possible," Ganley said.

Municipalities and their agencies have access to the towers for free, but will have to pay for the radios they need to access the network.The basic model of radio is available for about $1,200.