Trenton, NJ, owing firm $218K, can keep emergency radios for now

The city of Trenton will have emergency radio service until at least the end of December.

The company that provides radio service, MPS Communications, said it was going to end its service on Oct. 31 over non-payment of $218,000 in back fees. Mayor Reed Gusciora proposed paying the bill and investing in a new radio system compatible with Mercer County using $4 million in American Rescue Plan funds.

Council President Kathy McBride would not go along with the proposal as she wanted additional information about a new radio system. As a stopgap, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes loaned the city 130 radios to connect them with county dispatch.

As the deadline approached, the city on Thursday filed a lawsuit against MPS Communications to stop the shutoff, citing “irreparable harm” it would cause. Both sides on Friday agreed to continue as they have been until Dec. 31

"When it comes to this issue, every day counts, and this order provides critical time for my Administration and City Council to continue working together on a long-term solution," Gusciora said in a written statement. "While the Halloween deadline has been avoided for now, we still need to use every resource at our disposal to ensure that communication issues do not prevent our first responders from doing their job in a city where crime is the number one concern."

The radio system is used by police, fire, water utility and other essential personnel on a regular basis and during emergencies.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ