Was driving my wife to work just before 9am 7/31 and heard the call for CHPD to switch to 800mhz. and check in.....later found out that the CHPD chief Brian Curran told town officials that CHPD officially switched over to Viper system radios as of today (thursday), and will be keeping the legacy radios/gear for emergencies.....fellow that attended the meeting said that CHPD wanted to go ahead and move to Viper since many other local/co. agencies have been using the radios for a while now (Hillsborough PD, Carrboro PD, Orange Co. fire/rescue for example).
Not sure about the CHFD, though I hear them on Viper radios now & then. The Orange Co. Sheriff hasn't switched over as yet. Chief Curran cited the example of the need for coordinated LEO coverage of, say the annual halloween celebration in downtown chapel hill yearly - when outside LEOs came into town to help in coverage in the past, Curran had to station one CHPD officer with old radio with an outside LEO with Viper radio to coordinate between all the depts....
Just fyi - Redclay 7/31/08
Not sure about the CHFD, though I hear them on Viper radios now & then. The Orange Co. Sheriff hasn't switched over as yet. Chief Curran cited the example of the need for coordinated LEO coverage of, say the annual halloween celebration in downtown chapel hill yearly - when outside LEOs came into town to help in coverage in the past, Curran had to station one CHPD officer with old radio with an outside LEO with Viper radio to coordinate between all the depts....
Just fyi - Redclay 7/31/08