User Testimonials

“What’s changed from the system we use to have to the MD FiRST system is the morale of the police officers in general. They know they can be somewhere and the communications center will hear them. Before there were a lot of dead spots, and now we have clarity and clear transmissions.”

“Officers don’t have to carry so ma​ny radios of the different jurisdictions we operate in. Now it’s all in one radio.”

“There have been occasions when the Maryland State Police will call us for K-9 support, and now officers from each agency can talk directly to each other. It’s definitely increased agencies working together since we have that extra tool in the toolbox.”

“When we have major incidents the people who are responding, such as the crash reconstruction unit, the crisis negotiation team, and detectives can sometimes be 45 minutes away. Now with MD FiRST they can turn on the mobile radio in their car and listen to the incident on the way, talk to the on-scene commanders, and know the situation exactly when they arrive.”

MTA Police Badge



Captain Ronce Alford
Maryland Transportation Authority Police
Assist. Division Commander-Logistics Support



“The new radio system has been well received. The first thing the troopers and dispatchers noticed was the clear communications. We’re carrying one radio now instead of two, and it’s given us a bit of freedom.”

“The transition to MD FiRST has been very seamless. No one has noticed any problems.”

“I have people who are on assignment at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, and the barrack can hear them crystal clear from more than 50 miles away. Before that we had dead areas just a few miles from the barrack.”

MSP Police Badge


Lt. Daniel Fairburn
Maryland State Police
JFK Memorial Highway Barrack



“The new MD FiRST radio system is much clearer. We don’t have any trouble hearing the officers anymore. And we haven’t had any complaints about coverage or dead spots. I’ve been in a patrol car, and troopers can keep in constant contact with the communications center.”

“The capabilities of MD FiRST are very nice. When troopers key up their radios we can instantly see who they are. And with instant replay we can play back the last transmission immediately. Both of these have greatly increased our efficiency. It’s much more freeing since the old system had many more buttons. We can also monitor the other barracks and departments close by.”

MSP Police Badge

Bethany Richards
Maryland State Police
Police Communications Supervisor
JFK Memorial Highway Barrack



“With MD FiRST now we have improved communication with the State Highway Administration Courtesy Patrol and maintenance. Before we had to rely on the barrack to relay messages back and forth, and now we can talk car to car.”

“The clarity has improved. With the old system there were dead spots two miles from the barrack. The capabilities now are so amplified.”

“An example of how MD FiRST has improved efficiency is when troopers in two different locations, such as Elkton and White Marsh, are making traffic stops at the same time. Before they couldn’t hear each other calling out traffic, and they would both try to talk to dispatch at the same time. MD FiRST has eliminated that and increased officer safety.”

“The access to the other departments is a great advancement. If we have a chase it’s so much easier to coordinate a response among multiple agencies on the system.”

MSP Police Badge

Sergeant Joe Behringer
Maryland State Police
Duty Officer
JFK Memorial Highway Barrack



“We had a lot of dead spots before all around the county. Now, with MD FiRST we have no coverage loss at all both indoors and outdoors. We are very pleased with the system.”

“The new system has also improved the interoperability with Kent and the surrounding counties. It used to be complicated to set up patches between Queen Anne’s County and UMDES. Now it’s very easy, and the dispatchers are happy. We also used to have some problems with interoperability with Cecil County, and now everyone is on the same page.”

“The sound quality is much better. It’s so much clearer.”

“Each year Chestertown hosts the Tea Party Festival commemorating how local merchants revolted against the British tea tax in May 1774. The annual event draws thousands of people. This year for the first time we set up a special events talk group and put all law enforcement, EMS and the Department of Natural Resource on it, allowing them all to work together seamlessly.”

“Working with the teams from MD FiRST and Motorola has been a great experience. They are professional, knowledgeable, and when an issue did come up, they solved it within 24 hours. It was amazing to watch. ”

“We didn’t have a better choice than to join MD FiRST. We were under the FCC narrowbanding deadline, and it was going to cost us too much to build our own system. MD FiRST gives us outstanding coverage where we need it. The entire experience has been nothing but positive.”

Kent County Emergency Services Badge

Wayne Darrell
Kent County Office of Emergency Services
Director


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