Auburn Fire & Rescue, MA VHF 3-Site Simulcast Radio System

Auburn Fire & Rescue needed stronger VHF coverage across town, a dispatch center that could support it, and a clear path to P25 digital radio. Its radio fleet mixed VHF, UHF and multiband equipment of different ages, and it had no long-term replacement plan.

The department also needed one partner to run a multi-year program. That meant buying through compliant procurement, coordinating several vendors, and keeping radios and infrastructure maintained between projects.

Procurement

LB Comms set up its role as a communications system engineering contract. Engineering services are exempt from Massachusetts Chapter 30B, so the Town could engage us directly and move faster on technical work. For equipment and installation, we wrote the scopes, gathered quotes on state contract, and prepared the purchasing paperwork for the Town.

We also helped the Town use outside funding. Part of the P25 upgrade, the digital interface that lets P25 traffic reach the dispatch console, is planned to be paid for with earmark funding.

Implementation

1. Dispatch first (2021–2024). We led the dispatch renovation, integrated the Avtec IP consoles with the Motorola radio network, and installed new control stations.
2. Simulcast sites. We coordinated site access, fiber tie-ins and equipment at the radio sites, including Town water tank sites and structural and antenna work on an existing tower.
3. New Fire Headquarters. We worked with the architect before the building went out to bid. We placed rooftop antennas and specified the radio room and console positions, so radio was built into the design and not added afterward.
4. Vehicles and portables. We mapped the vehicle fleet, picked up the operations vehicles to upgrade for P25 interoperability with Police, and coordinated mobile radio installs and programming.
5. P25 path. We set the P25 sequence: a digital interface at the Police station control station, new portable templates, and firmware updates ahead of cutover.

Acceptance

LB Comms tests before the Town pays and before users depend on the system. The Prospect Street water tank site was field-tested before the final equipment was ordered. The results showed the Town didn't need a repeat test, so it could move straight to buying the equipment.

Every radio is checked before it goes into service. In September 2026 we ran a two-day preventive maintenance event on the department's portable fleet. Each radio was calibrated, tested and updated with new firmware, and 30 were completed on the first day alone. We also pulled the old batteries for lab analysis.