Fire Department Radio Upgrade Will Not Encrypt Communications

The Pasadena City Council is expected to vote tonight to award a half million dollar contract to a Pasadena company to upgrade fire department communications to use the same high-tech digital system employed by the police department – but unlike police, the fire department won’t encrypt its communications.

“I spoke with our radio guru to confirm that fire frequencies will remain the same,” Lisa Derderian, spokesperson for the Pasadena Fire Department, said Monday. “No encryption will be used so hobbyists and the media who have scanners can still monitor fire frequencies.”

The installation of the software will allow the Pasadena Fire Department radios to be operated and managed on the new Pasadena radio system which was recently brought on-line. The project replaces the department’s municipal radio communications system with a modern digital system, but the department will not use encryption.

The Pasadena Police Dept. recently joined other departments around the country by moving to shield their radio communications from the public. Since cheap, user-friendly technology has made it possible for anyone to use handheld devices, such as smart phones, to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes, more agencies are encrypting communications that had previously been public.

The system of encryption has become increasingly common across the nation. Police and law enforcement agencies say they want to prevent criminals from using police radio channels to evade capture. The transition to encryption has put police departments at odds with the some news media.

Some journalists and scanner hobbyists argue that law enforcement agencies already have the ability to communicate securely. They say that police departments should be able to adjust without reverting to full encryption. Neighborhood watchdogs say alert scanner listeners have even helped police solve crimes.

In January, the Council appropriated $500,000 from the 2008 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) for the purchase of radio software for the Pasadena Fire dept. At tonight’s meeting the Council will consider awarding the contract to Foothill Communications, LLC of Pasadena in the amount of $491,713.