Posted February 10, 2021

20210210 HFD Handheld Radios

Huntington firefighter Chris Brumbaugh displays new handheld radios in use by the Huntington Fire Department. The units feature better range and improved safety technology.

HUNTINGTON – Handheld radio technology with improved safety features has been issued to each member of the Huntington Fire Department, and Fire Chief Tony Johnson said Wednesday it will be rolled out across the county in the coming weeks.

More than 200 handheld units were purchased using a $1.2 million “Assistance to Firefighters Grant” the department received in September from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Each handheld radio is programmed with the identification of the specific firefighter to whom it is issued.

The handheld units feature improved range along with intrinsically safe lapel microphones that have wiring rated for more than 500 degrees. A “man down” feature also allows a firefighter to signal for help at the push of a button if in trouble and unable to talk.

“That’s a really great safety feature that we’ve never had,” Chief Johnson said, adding that Huntington Dispatch and all other crew members immediately receive a notification of the call for help.

Additionally, the Integrated Public Safety Commission has informed fire departments statewide of an upcoming change in the frequencies to be used for radio communications at an unspecified future date. The previous handheld radios used by HFD and Huntington County’s seven volunteer departments would have been rendered obsolete once the switch over occurred.

The new handheld radios, however, will be compliant with the new frequency ranges while also allowing for improved communications with other departments and state agencies, Chief Johnson said.

Firefighters at the Andrews, Markle, Bippus, Huntington Township, Mt. Etna, Warren and Roanoke volunteer fire departments will receive their handheld units as setup and programming is completed.

“I would say that should be within the next two weeks,” Chief Johnson said.

About 50 mobile radio units, which are equipped in department vehicles and fire engines, and the base radio unit at each of the nine fire stations located across the city and county would have been affected by the frequency change as well. These units also were replaced using grant money, with installation scheduled to start the week of March 1.

The grant allocation also allowed the purchase of approximately 140 new pagers to be issued to firefighters countywide.