Lakeland Fire Department takes steps toward preventing further radio failures

Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger
·2 min read
Lakeland Fire Department has deployed a mobile radio repeater, pictured here, in Battalion Chief 1 truck in effort to prevent further radio communication failures. The department has two additional permanent repeater units on order.
Lakeland Fire Department has deployed a mobile radio repeater, pictured here, in Battalion Chief 1 truck in effort to prevent further radio communication failures. The department has two additional permanent repeater units on order.

Lakeland Fire Department has taken actions to prevent further "radio failure" during potential critical moments in emergency calls.

Lakeland had deployed a mobile radio repeater in one of its two battalion chief vehicles as of Oct. 23, according to a memorandum sent to all fire department personnel by Assistant Chief of Operations Harley WilsonIII.

The use of mobile radio repeaters has become a hot topic between the fire department and the Lakeland Professional Firefighters Local 4173 union.Shannon Turbeville, president of the firefighters union, called for the city to purchase additional repeaters after personnel responding to a medical call experienced a "radio failure" leading to difficulty obtaining medical supplies needed to treat a patient.

The fire department has identified 11 buildings that can cause communication issues for first responders, according to the Oct. 23 memorandum. The sites include several self-storage facilities, Publix buildings, large warehouses and manufacturing plants. These addresses are flagged in the department's Computer Aided Dispatch system, or CAD, so dispatchers are aware of potential issues before sending people to the scene, according to the document.

The department has issued clear instructions to firefighters and first responders on how to respond to incidents reported at these 11 locations.

"[W]hile arriving on scene, assess the situation and if there is any doubt about what is going on inside the structure, stage until the arrival of Battalion 1 and the mobile repeater to make entry," reads Wilson's memorandum.

This may cause the first crew arriving on the scene, if not the battalion chief, to have to wait additional time before taking further action to assist in an emergency.

The city has ordered two permanent vehicle repeaters, which are still pending delivery to be installed on the other battalion chief trucks.

'I'm afraid it's going to kill someone' Lakeland, fire union at odds over radio devices

Lakeland Fire Chief Doug Riley previously told The Ledger that he would be changing the city's policies to require structures that do not have adequate signal to install their own signal enhancement systems.

This policy change was confirmed by the Oct. 23 memorandum sent to all personnel.

"[T]his will take time for them to get installed, so in the interim we need to be vigilant with these addresses and utilize the equipment we currently have to maintain radio communications," it reads.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Fire Department deploys mobile repeater for radios