Dothan police and fire departments are getting 700 two-way radios that could help officers respond to emergencies faster.
The Dothan City Commission approved an agreement with Motorola Solutions to purchase the APX Series radios and associated equipment for $2,198,645 at its Tuesday meeting.
The ability to repair and certify models currently in use ended at the end of 2019, meaning radios that stop working cannot be repaired. The city currently has 75 irreparable radios.
For police radios to be reprogrammed or updated, they have to be sent to the radio shop. However, the new radios can be programmed and updated remotely and be found using GPS technology in the case they are lost or misplaced. The new radios can also receive and transmit using Bluetooth technology.
“This would keep the officers on the street and working rather than traveling to the radio shop for each service," Police Chief Steve Parrish said to the board.