The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that high level communications during the NATO Summit in Chicago will be conducted with the long awaited CFD digital radios.

A $23 million digital radio system — purchased in 2006 under a no-bid contract awarded under questionable circumstances — will help speed emergency response during the NATO Summit.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford disclosed Thursday that “some of the channels” provided by the long-stalled Motorola system would be used by top brass for “command and control” within the “NATO summit footprint” surrounding McCormick Place.

“This will allow us to operate and dispatch resources separately from the regular citywide system and the main radio system for better flexibility and control,” Langford said.

The Motorola radios were purchased in 2006 to prevent communications breakdowns like the one that contributed heavily to six deaths at an October 2003 high-rise fire at 69 W. Washington.

The complete article can be found HERE.

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