The Orange County Fire Authority has reversed its decision to encrypt its radio and dispatch communications that was initiated Monday. The encryption was part of the county’s upgrade of its 800 MHz Countywide-Coordinated Communications System, managed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Officials said the move was meant to improve public safety agencies’ ability to communicate with each other during an emergency, but because it blocks the public from tuning into its communications during disasters, the OCFA decided to reverse the encryption of more than 1,500 radios used by its firefighters and paramedics.
OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy revisited the decision Thursday during a meeting of the Orange County Fire Chiefs Assn., stating that the public’s ability to stay informed during emergencies trumped concerns about operational security. It will take about 30 to 60 days to reprogram all of the radios.