Testing underway for new public safety communications system

Testing is underway for the new public safety communications system being set up in Paducah and McCracken County.

Technicians from Communications International are working in the area to make sure the new system is performing properly and is reliable before first responders put it to real-world tests. McCracken County and the City of Paducah want the public to know that if they see these technicians, not to worry, they are authorized to be working with radios, laptops, antennas, and other gear alongside roads and in public places.

They said that the technicians will be working in a two-man team with badges and clothing that will have the Communications International logos and branding. They will be driving an unmarked, white GMC Terrain with Texas plates and a pair of large antennas on the roof. They are only for testing the new radio system; they are not surveilling or performing any law enforcement function.

The radio upgrade project was approved by the Paducah City Commission and the McCracken County Fiscal Court in December of 2023. The $7.67 million upgrade includes new portable radios, consoles, and towers.