North Ridgeville to get on board with 5-city radio system plan

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The North Ridgeville Fire Department appears to be on its way to upgrading its radio systems after City Council authorized Mayor Kevin Corcoran to enter into an agreement with Cleveland Communications Inc. for participation in a five-city radio plan on the L3Harris system. Currently, North Ridgeville firefighters use an ultra-high frequency (UHF) analog system that has been in use for more than 20 years. Council considered joining nearby communities Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake in the five-city radio proposal earlier this year, but in September did not have enough votes to approve legislation that would have authorized Corcoran to sign the contract with Cleveland Communications for the deal. Some who did not support the proposal at that time expressed hesitancy about voting for a system that had not been built and tested in North Ridgeville yet. Proponents of the Multi-Agency Radio Communication System, commonly known as MARCS, also made their case to Council members during meetings earlier this year, but firefighters and Fire Chief John Reese said they favored the L3Harris system. On Monday, Corcoran said tests of the L3Harris system from Cleveland Communications were successful in the city. "The last time we talked about it was the last Council meeting, and we discussed how the fire department went out and tested the system throughout the city, and the system worked," Corcoran told attendees. Avon, Avon Lake, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake have already gotten on board with the system. North Ridgeville will receive 20 free radios from Cleveland Communications as part of the deal, Corcoran said. Monday's vote came after the second reading of the ordinance, and it was approved in a 5-1 vote with one abstention. Council President Martin DeVries, R-at large, and Councilman Bruce Abens, R-3rd Ward, voted yes after voting against the similar legislation in September. Councilman Dennis Boose, D-2nd Ward, abstained from Monday's vote to avoid a potential conflict of interest, and Councilman Jim Maleski, R-at-large, was the lone no vote. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.