Funny thing about us humans….
We don’t like being told what to do! As a case in point, consider the federal mandate for P25 communications equipment. It wasn’t so hard to do for a federal agency to comply with a funded mandate. It is altogether a different matter for a rural volunteer fire department or small municipality to comply when the equipment is considerably more expensive than other equipment with comparable features and performance.
FEMA, through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, refers to the federal standard (SAFECOM) for the purchase of grant eligible equipment, then turns around and starts allowing exceptions. The result? NO interoperability and only very limited success in isolated areas. How do you fix that?
First you do a better job of educating users on the benefits to THEM! Next, you stick to your own rules with no exceptions. Lastly, the manufacturers have to produce a product that is price competitive to alternate technologies such as DMR and NXDN, even analog! I am delighted to announce that at least one manufacturer has risen to the challenge!
You can now purchase a P25 portable from Falcon Direct for only $795 with the mobile being only $100 more. This is compatible with the prices of ANALOG radios! Now, we’re talking!
