PIMA COUNTY – The incorporation of the Marana Police Department into the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network (PCWIN) is now complete.
“On October 17 and 18, the Town of Marana Police Department became the latest Pima County public safety agency to fully integrate into PCWIN,” said Rick Brown, Executive Director of Pima County Wireless Integrated Network. “Their recent integration into PCWIN was the result of a successful collaboration between the Town of Marana leaders and the PCWIN Admiration over the past few months.”
The Marana Police Department began the process of integration into the Pima County Wireless Integrated Network in early 2017. Pima County Wireless Integrated Network system enables 55 public safety and public service agencies – including police, fire, public utility and transportation agencies – to talk to one other by radio in real time on a single system, regardless of their jurisdiction boundaries.
The inclusion of the Marana Police Department in the network helps to bolster public safety for all Pima County residents by providing public safety agencies more effective radio communication.
The Marana Police Department which initially added 12 radios enabled to communicate over PCWIN, now has over 200 radios and six dispatch consoles. The town’s cost per radio is $33 per month. Marana had previously chosen to decline participation in PCWIN when the network was under construction in 2010.
Prior to construction of PCWIN, public safety and other agencies were unable to communicate with one another directly over radio networks because each agency maintained its own communications system.
PCWIN is governed by a Cooperative of member agencies. The governing board and committees meet regularly to develop policy and chart a strategic vision for interoperable communication in Pima County. Member agencies share in the collaborative effort to enhance communication.
Pima County voters approved $60 million in 2004 general obligation bond funding to construct the emergency communications network.