Cook County and local Fire Departments awarded $389,503 in grant funding to upgrade ARMER radios
Nine local Cook County fire departments and the Cook County Emergency Management Services (EMS) have been awarded substantial grant funding to upgrade its Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) public safety radio communication system.
The grant program, established by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Communication Networks division, provides funding to support the purchase and upgrade of ARMER radios, a critical piece of public safety equipment for local, Tribal, and state agencies.
In total, $23 million in funding was allocated to 178 entities. Numerous Minnesota counties, fire departments, and municipalities, including Cook County, applied for the funding.
On behalf of the nine fire departments and one EMS crew, Cook County requested $389,503.65 in grant funding, with a 5% match of 20,503.35, for a total project cost of $410,007.
The Department of Public Safety announced in October that Cook County was awarded the full amount of $389,503.65.
ARMER radios play a critical role in Cook County, said Jay DeCoux, the Cook County radio communications analyst. “Because we don’t have the same access of cellular proliferation as you do in a more urban county, or even a county that isn’t quite so geographically blessed.”
Due to Cook County’s expansive size and the difficulty of cellular coverage, ARMER radios are the backbone of communication for law enforcement, fire departments, and first responders.
“Anytime there’s a fire, anytime there’s a search and rescue, anytime there’s a law enforcement officer who’s out in the sticks responding to something, that’s their primary means of communication,” DeCoux said.
DeCoux and Cook County MIS Director Rowan Watkins attended the local Fire Chiefs meeting on Monday, Oct. 21, to discuss allocation, timeline, and desired brands of ARMER radios to purchase.
DeCoux and Watkins presented the grant funding information to the Cook County Board of Commissioners during their Tuesday, Oct. 22 meeting.
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Jay DeCoux, the Cook County radio communications analyst, about ARMER radios’ role in Cook County, the significance of the grant funding, and more. The audio from the interview is below.
Kalli Hawkins October 22, 2024
