Wauconda police get a radio upgrade

When Doug Larsson started as police chief in Wauconda in October 2009, one of his first orders of business was to talk with officers about what could be improved.

They all mentioned the radio system.

“We can't talk to each other. We can't hear each other,” were among the comments, according to Larsson.

The concern became acute two months later when Officer Jim McClain was struck by a vehicle that went out of control as he was assisting a motorist on Route 12 in icy conditions.

“He was literally down in the median, a broken leg, severe injuries to his spine,” Larsson said.

McLain, who returned to duty just last Thursday, tried to call for help but couldn't get through because the radio network was old and deficient. It had a weak signal that couldn't be heard by dispatchers or other officers, Larsson said.

Wauconda officers shouldn't have that problem again as the department took delivery Friday of 18 of 30 new radios operating on the StarCom network.

“Without a doubt, this will be the best answer. It's such a highly penetrable network,” Larsson said. “These radios are designed to transmit on any frequency regardless of what spectrum they're on.”

Larsson said his department is the first in Lake County to implement the system, which is in use by state police and other agencies. The DuPage County Emergency Telephone System Board last month approved a $28 million contract with Motorola Inc. to buy the equipment.

Arlington Heights-based Northwest Central Dispatch System, which has 12 member agencies, also has approved the use of StarCom.

”We have to figure how to integrate this in the next two years. It's a work in progress,” said Jim Hunt, the agency's radio system manager.

In the event of a statewide disaster, Hunt said, StarCom allows use of the same radio system to communicate. This also will allow for immediate communication among fire departments responding to calls outside their jurisdiction, he added.

“Right now, we have disparate systems all over the state,” Hunt said.

According to information provided to the Wauconda village board, the estimated cost to repair the old network was $170,000. The cost of 18 new radios and 30 accessory components is $110,588, which the village is borrowing from Wauconda Community Bank at a 4 percent rate over a five-year term. The village is applying for a grant for the other 12 radios.

The $10,800 annual lease for airtime will be paid from the department's general fund.

Larsson told the village board that police officers in the field no longer will need to rely on the in-car radio to hear fire department and emergency high-band radio calls.