Cleveland plans to use up to $1.03 million in federal funding to replace 151 mobile radios used by police, firefighters and EMS crews in emergency vehicles

By Hannah Drown
cleveland.com

CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow the city to accept up to $1.03 million in federal funding to replace aging mobile radios in police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

The funding would purchase 151 mobile radios for the city’s police, fire and EMS divisions. The radios are installed in emergency vehicles and are used by officers, firefighters and paramedics responding to calls across Cleveland.

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The legislation authorizes Public Safety Director Dornat “Wayne” Drummond to accept the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance grant for Cleveland’s Public Safety Radio Program. The grant runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2028, and requires no local match.

The 151 radios represent about 19% of the city’s 778 mobile radios, according to Drummond and city grant officials. The funding will not cover the city’s entire replacement need, prompting council members to ask what it would cost to upgrade the remaining radios.

Drummond said replacing all 778 mobile radios would require a “substantial amount” of additional funding, though he did not have an exact figure available at Wednesday’s meeting.

Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones strongly supported bringing the federal money to Cleveland. He credited U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown for recommending that the city apply for the grant and praised city staff for pursuing the funding.

“I will not be a council person who would deny or reject any funds coming to the city of Cleveland,” Jones said, adding that additional resources benefit both residents and the employees who provide city services.

The legislation describes the new radios as “durable, forward-facing, future-proofing” equipment intended to modernize communications for Cleveland’s safety personnel.

The committee approved the legislation with an amendment requiring the Public Safety director to notify the council clerk when purchases are made through a cooperative purchasing process and provide details about the process. The legislation now moves to the council’s Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

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