Milwaukee Fire Department gets new radio system

MILWAUKEE (AP) — After years of delays and millions of dollars in cost over-runs, officials at the Milwaukee Fire Department are ready to begin using the department’s new radio system, OpenSky 2.

The Journal Sentinel reports it has been nearly two years since the Police Department converted to OpenSky and the Fire Department is scheduled to make the change on Tuesday.

Fire Chief Mark Rohlfing says the department has gone through a series of problems with the radios that had to be fixed, including compensating for the weaker wall penetration of the newer design.

The project was originally to cost $15 million and go online in 2005, but the contractor missed deadlines. The cost is now $18 million.

Fire Department officials say they’re now confident the system will function properly.