WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |Tri-State Ambulance receives federal grant for radio upgrade
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LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN (WXOW)- Tri-State Ambulance will receive about $105,000 in grant money to upgrade the emergency services provider's radio equipment.
The upgrade is necessary because Minnesota is moving to a new radio system and Tri-State's current system isn't compatible with it.
The grant money will be used to upgrade the radios carried by Tri-State paramedics as well as radios in the ambulances.
The Assistance to Firefighter grant is a FEMA grant that is mainly reserved for fire departments.
A small percentage of the grant money is given to emergency medical service agencies.
"Communications between our ambulances and our paramedics, our first responder groups, fire departments, and hospitals. We cover about 2,600 miles of 911 service area and that means we work with 26 different agencies so we have to have the ability to communicate with all of those agencies," added Tom Tornstrom, Tri-State Ambulance.
Tri-State Ambulance expects the radio upgrade to be complete by the end of 2010.
