It is out with the old and in with the new as the Gloucester Fire Department looks to upgrade its radio equipment.
The Gloucester Fire Department received $42,500 from a state grant to improve its technology infrastructure by converting its radio system from a Very High Frequency (VHF) to an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) simulcast system.
The new radios should help firefighters better communicate inside buildings and areas with a lot of granite, fire Chief Eric Smith said.
The signals of the VHF radios Gloucester firefighters currently use cannot easily penetrate granite, concrete, or basement walls.
The new UHF radios have a shorter wavelength and are known to be able to travel through steel and concrete more easily.
Smith explained that it is vital that members of his team are able to communicate with others in various spaces.
"We are hoping that with this new system our up-time on our main repeated frequency will be greatly improved," Smith said.