Building a new Land Mobile Radio (LMR) network isn’t just about building new radio transmission towers, it also means installing new radios into police cars, ambulances, fire appliances and stations and providing new portable radios for emergency services staff across the length and breadth of the country.
Work is well underway on the installation of more than 7,000 radios into emergency vehicles, 1,300 radios into buildings and delivery of 30,000 new portable radios to our emergency staff so they are ready for when the new Land Mobile Radio network goes live.
For Hato Hone St John, nearly 1,000 ambulances need critical upgrades to enable them to use the new LMR network without any interruption to frontline emergency services.
“We’re more than 90 percent through what we call the ‘first touch’, installing the radio terminals, antennas, and associated equipment in each ambulance,” says Chris Laufale, Business Change Manager at Hato Hone St John and liaison to Next Generation Critical Communications.
“We’ve got 18 different vehicle types. Even among the same brand, the wiring or roof materials might differ, which affects antenna performance. Our providers needed to have every possible part ready, and a full bill of materials for any of the 18 vehicle types. That’s not a small ask.”
Each vehicle must be back on the road after fit-out, fully functional and tested by shift start, Mr Laufale says.
“These vehicles roll straight out again and often back into operational service responding to emergency calls in the community, so, that means every system, whether that be the sirens, lights, or radios, must be double-checked and tested. A loose wire can’t be left to chance.”
“We’ve worked closely with Tait Systems New Zealand and Next Generation Critical Communications to adjust designs, improve turnaround times, and reduce risks for everyone.”
“That is hugely important because when one of our crews turns the key, everything needs to work,” Mr Laufale says.
Meanwhile New Zealand Police have replaced more than 1500 portable radios in Counties Manukau, Auckland City, Wellington and Northland and completed their roll out of new radios in vehicles in Canterbury. They are now working on vehicle installations in Wellington.
Wellington Free Ambulance are currently trialling the new equipment in four vehicles, before full fleet installations begin in 2026.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand are also trialling PSN equipment in several vehicles before fleet installations begin later this year, starting in Canterbury.