Full Notification

City Council Approves Purchase of Public Safety Equipment

DATE OF RELEASE: September 18, 2013

There are some new, significant changes that will be taking place in the City of West Covina which will improve the quality of service and safety for the community and the City’s public safety divisions.

On Tuesday, September 17, 2013, the West Covina City Council unanimously approved three items on its agenda; specifically the purchase of a new Mobile Command Post, a new radio communications system for the Police Department, and the Fire Department will soon be purchasing two new ambulances.

With this approval, the West Covina Police Department will be purchasing a new, state-of-the-art, diesel powered Mobile Command Post equipped with radio systems designed to allow personnel to communicate with all agencies in the area as well as State and Federal authorities. This purchase replaces the 30 year old Mobile
Command Post the department had been using. This project was several years in the making and it was funded exclusively by Asset Seizure Funds, State Grants and the Castucci Foundation. No city tax dollars were used.

The second item approved relates to the new radio communications system. The West Covina Police Department has joined the Interagency Communications Interoperability System, or ICIS, through a joint powers of authority contract. A newly formed San Gabriel Valley Regional Communications Network Group which consists of the cities of Glendora, Azusa, Covina, Irwindale, La Verne and West Covina are connected to, and share in ICIS. This system will enable these agencies to have greater range of coverage of radio communication. In addition, the entire system will be digital and nteroperable with all the agencies in the coverage area.

Police Chief Paul LaCommare said “We are very pleased with the support from the City Council and City Manager Chris Chung on these two milestone improvements for the police department. The new radio system and command post will have a significant positive impact on future police operations and our ability to effectively respond to emergencies. Specifically our ability to coordinate and communicate with other agencies will be dramatically increased.”

The City Council’s approval for the West Covina Fire Department to purchase two new rescue ambulances was the third agenda item. The purchase of these ambulances was based upon year one (1) of the five (5) Year Fire Department Apparatus and Equipment Replacement Plan to continue providing effective and efficient service to the citizens of West Covina.

The city currently operates three rescue ambulances which are available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. These newer style ambulances can accommodate three patients instead of two patients thereby reducing demand on the other city ambulances and increasing the availability to respond to additional calls.

The modular box style ambulance will reduce the cost of future ambulances by fifty percent because it can be reused when the chassis of the vehicle wears out. The Fire Department will also experience a reduction in maintenance costs with this purchase and provide additional reserve ambulances when other vehicles are
scheduled for maintenance.

Fire Chief Rick Genovese stated, “The Council and City Manager’s office has provided the vital and essential equipment required to deliver the optimal emergency service to our community.”

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Information released by:
West Covina Police Department
Public Information Officer Rudy Lopez
1444 West Garvey Avenue
West Covina, CA 91790
626 939-8500

Web: www.wcpd.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WestCovinaPD
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