FAIRFAX, Va. — Just a week removed from a regional row over encrypted radio channels, fire chiefs from across the region met to smooth out concerns and make plans for mutual responses.
At issue is a plan for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services to encrypt tactical radio channels. Dispatch channels would remain unencrypted.
Still, that reality set off alarm, warnings and confusion among neighboring fire departments last week, which feared encrypted channels could compromise their ability to respond if needed.
While public safety officials in D.C. assured the move to encrypted radio channels would have no negative impact on a regional response, the scheduled meeting Thursday was a chance to communicate that directly.
“We wanted to ease the fears of the chiefs, and I think today we took some steps to do that,” Eugene Jones, acting D.C. Fire chief, said after the meeting.
Jones and his counterparts emerged with unified confidence — but no date for a change to encryption.
“D.C. Fire and EMS agreed they would not move forward with encryption until they can safely do so,” says Richie Bowers, the fire chief in Fairfax County. “That’s an important message to get out.”
“All the chiefs have agreed that as long as we can seamlessly communicate across lines, we are going to continue to come when we’re called,” added Marc Bashoor, the fire chief in Prince George’s County.
Jones insists D.C. Fire is not hitting “pause” after the burst of regional concern last week, but he has no time frame for when the department may switch to encrypted channels.
“We’re going to make sure that we can communicate with [neighboring departments] until all of us can get to a platform where we can go encryption,” he says.
Related: Fire departments get the message with encrypted radios
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