Hermosa Beach, South Bay Cities Form Safety Radio Network

HERMOSA BEACH, CA — A police and fire communication system shared between seven South Bay cities went into operation Wednesday.

Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, and Torrance are members of the Interoperability Network of the South Bay.

Fire departments from El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance were connected to the network in August and September. Police departments from all seven cities were added in October and November, according to Ernest A. Gallo, the network's executive director.

The network is anchored by six radio sites sharing 12 licensed channels that can handle open or encrypted conversations. It will cover 50 square miles and serve a population of about 560,000 which generates almost 500,000 public agency service calls every year, Gallo said.

This system can transmit multiple signals simultaneously, "ensuring the broadest two-way radio coverage possible" Gallo said.

The radio network can also handle digital formatting.

The network is financed by a $6 million grant from the Urban Areas Security Initiative and Homeland Security Grant Program. Participating cities paid $9 million to replace hand-held and vehicle-mounted radios. They will also cover operation costs.

City News Service contributed to this post