On June 14, 2015, the Mesquite Police Department, Fire Department, and 911 dispatch center officially converted over to the long awaited Motorola Solutions P25 Digital Radio System.  This new highly sophisticated system provides enhanced clarity, coverage, and encryption which will now allow officers to communicate clearly and reliably regardless of their location.  Before the switch to the Motorola system, the Police Department had been utilizing an older VHF analog radio system. The VHF system had always presented major clarity and coverage problems resulting in areas of the city and within many buildings where dispatchers and officers were unable to communicate.  Over four years ago, Chief Troy Tanner recognized the public safety concern caused by the antiquated VHF radio system.  At that time, Chief Tanner made it his goal to upgrade Mesquite’s entire public safety communications system, which included the 911 dispatch center, police department, fire department, radio towers, and repeater systems.

The monumental task of upgrading the city to a digital radio system required the collaboration between multiple agencies and entities within Mesquite City.  The Motorola digital system is the same the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) recently switched over to.  “Without the support and assistance from LVMPD Sheriff Joseph Lombardo and his agency, our ability to upgrade to this new communications system would not have been possible,” said Mesquite Police Chief Troy Tanner.  “When public safety is unable to communicate reliably, it cannot function nor perform the service the public has entrusted to us to provide.”

The Police Department has been working closely with Motorola and LVMPD on this project for approximately three years.  The funding needed to install and maintain this radio system was provided by the Federal Department of Homeland Security, the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State of Nevada Department of Public Safety Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and the Clark County Office of Emergency Management.  Additional costs were covered by asset forfeiture seizure funds and Mesquite City.  These funds covered the installation of two repeaters in the valley, upgrading all of the 911 dispatch center consoles, upgrading all of the city’s emergency vehicles and personnel with Motorola radio equipment, and updating the infrastructure to support Mesquite’s Information Technology systems.

Chief Tanner added; “Now our dispatchers and officers can communicate within any building and in any location within Mesquite, as well as any location within Clark County.  Mesquite City is now capable of sharing communications with other Clark County emergency service agencies during major events and critical incidents.”

The Mesquite Police Department would like to publicly thank Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, LVMPD Director Michael Barnbeck, the Mesquite City Council, Mayor, City Manager, Billy Tanner, Dirk Marshall, and all the other members of our Mesquite family who have been working hard behind the scenes the last three years in support of this long awaited and needed upgrade to our emergency communications abilities.