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August 9, 2005
NEW RADIOS PUT U.S. COAST GUARD IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION
WITH FIRST RESPONDER AGENCIES ACROSS OHIO
New high-tech radios provided to Coast Guard by ODNR will aid in
port and harbor security on Lake Erie and the Ohio River
COLUMBUS, OH - All U.S. Coast Guard operations in Ohio will soon enjoy swift, direct communication with local, state and federal first responder agencies statewide, thanks to special radios provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Officials from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Ninth District in Cleveland today accepted 21 MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communication System) radios as part of a broad emergency communications initiative fostered by ODNR. The radios will soon be assisting with search and rescue, law enforcement and homeland security efforts in Coast Guard stations and boats based at Toledo, Marblehead, Lorain, Cleveland, Fairport and Ashtabula, as well as at three facilities on the Ohio River.
“For the first time, the Coast Guard will have a clear voice in the state’s comprehensive emergency response network,” said ODNR Director Sam Speck. “That means greater safety and security for people living, working and visiting along our north coast and the Ohio River.”
Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Kenneth L. Morckel noted the Coast Guard joins 439 Ohio-based law enforcement and emergency response agencies currently using the new statewide radio system. Those agencies include all of Ohio’s 88 county sheriffs and county emergency management agencies; all major city police and fire departments; more than 200 hospital emergency rooms and other state and federal agencies charged with maintaining the public’s health and safety.
"This is another great example of homeland security funding supporting critical interoperable communications," said Morckel, who also serves as chair of the State of Ohio Security Task Force. "Coast Guard and other emergency personnel must be able to communicate with each other in the event of a crisis - especially one involving an emergency on miles of open water. The MARCS radios will address this need, which will improve safety and security on Lake Erie.”
The 21 radios were purchased by ODNR, using more than $111,000 federal Homeland Security Grant money. In the state’s strategic plan for homeland security, ODNR is responsible for coordinating the work of local, state and federal agencies who deal with port and maritime security on Ohio’s major waterways, including Lake Erie and the Ohio River.
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