Township Eyes Casino Grants to Buy Radios

Bensalem wants to use slot machine money to pay for new radios.

These aren't transistor or nightstand clock radios. They are federally-mandated, low bandwidth, emergency communication radios for all township first responders – police, fire and EMS.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given the township, and the rest of the country, until Jan. 1, 2013 to transition from its current communication system to one that operates using lower bandwidth.

The new radios are estimated to cost over $5,000 apiece.

Public Safety Director Fred Harran told Bensalem Patch the cost of the radios would be $2.3 million. He said the grant would allow Bensalem to purchase the radios “at no cost to the township…Hopefully.”

Township Council Monday voted unanimously to approve an application for municipal impact grants for these radios. Casino impact grants are paid for through taxes from to Bensalem, the host town, and several adjacent municipalities.

Council also wants to use a grant to buy a new fire truck for its career firefighters, Engine 222. Harran said the cost of the truck would be $450,000.

In other news, council tabled a pending land development application from Parx Casino, which wants to build a four-story, 760,000-square-foot parking garage for about 2,000 vehicles.

Township Solicitor Joseph Pizzo said the casino agreed to take another look at traffic circulation patterns from the parking facility following an analysis by a township traffic engineer.

Pizzo said the casino asked for a continuance until the Nov. 14 council meeting.