Ocean City purchases new radio for $5.4M

After months of negotiations, the Ocean City Council has signed a $5.4 million contract with Eastern Communications Ltd. to replace its decades-old radio system.

The city staff has been waiting to see a new system installed, and some departments will still have to wait a few years for it.

According to officials, the radio upgrade languished for three years in the unfunded projects category until the manufacturer Harris Corporation announced it would no longer be providing parts for the system by 2018.

“If we’d want to buy a part, we would have to buy it on eBay if we’re lucky,” Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald. “We’re rolling the dice to see if we can operate until that time. The county also contracted with Harris in its upgrades, which are in process. And we’ve been maintaining [our system] so that it works almost flawlessly.”

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