Ribbon cutting held for long-awaited 911 radio system in place for Paducah, McCracken County

Officials from the City of Paducah and McCracken County held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a journey to upgrade the 911 radio system for the city and county.

The project marks the end of five years of planning and collaboration between the City of Paducah to enhance communication coverage and reliability for first responders, public safety agencies and residents.

In December 2023, the City and County approved agreements with Communications International to upgrade the 911 radio system to include equipment for towers, consoles, and portable radio units. The project included about $7.7 million in system upgrades to replace gear that was being used past its normal operational life, and no longer serviced by the manufacturers. 

Coverage field testing and training on the new equipment were some of the final steps in March before the new system became fully operational for police and fire departments in April, first with hand-held units, then later with radios installed in vehicles.

Users of the new system say it has four additional tower locations and more coverage area, even into adjacent counties.

The system also allows for multiple channels where numerous departments like the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, Paducah Police, the Paducah Fire Department and county fire departments can all communicate on the same channel instead of having to go through central dispatch each time.


(Photo: City of Paducah Facebook)