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J)fa:z, 'I !2Eu:z:EU-} - splo 7 Counties to unify crisis radio systems . Alameda, Contra Costa approve 'joint powers' By Chris Metinko MEDIANEWS STAFF Alameda and Contra Costa counties officials moved a step closer Tuesday t~ eliminating potential communication break- downs during the next Bay Area disaster. The boards of supervisors of both counties approved the for- mation of a joint powers au- thority between the counties that would manage the imple- mentation and operation of the digital regional radio system. This system would allow pualic safety agencies in both counties to communicate directly with each other via radio. While such communication may seem fundan1ental, it's rarely the case in either county. There are a handful of different radio systems emergency serv- ices use in the East Bay, none of which are easily compatible wIth one another. For instance, Alameda County Fire and Sheriffs de- partments cannot communicate directly with their Oakland or Berkeley counterparts. Instead, the departments have tb rely on "black boxes" that capture sig- nals from disparate radio sys- tems. However, that equipment has limitations, 'such as a finite range of where the boxes will work. That is just one example of the emergency radio problems caused by incompatible systems . and overcrowded frequencies across the East Bay. Nobody uses the same band of radio fre- quencies as the California Highway Patrol, except the East Bay Regional Park District. Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Pin ole , Concord, Clayton, Pit- tsburg, Hercules and Martinez police cannot contact their own cities' fire departments via radio. In Richmond, police can't radio Contra Costa County sher- iffs deputies. The communication break- down was evident during the 1991 Oakland and Berkeley hills fire. Firefighters from sur- rounding communities con- verged on the scene, but couldn't communicate with each other. Commander Rocky Medeiros of the Alameda County Sheriffs Office said formation of the new authority is a huge step in con- necting the two counties and eliminating a dangerous com- munication gap that ~ould prove costly during the next emer- gency.