Radio Deployment Wave Overview

The deployment waves are the end-user agency groupings and the timeframe in which they will be exchanging their current radios for new radios. The PSERN Project assigns agencies to waves based on their primary geographic location of daily operations and the talkgroups (radio channels) they utilize on the emergency radio system. Wave start and end dates shift due to several factors, but the latest estimated wave dates can be found here:

View Radio Deployment and Transition Timeline.

Wave 1: Seattle Public Utilities & Sound Transit Operations (Link Light Rail)

  • Radio Count: Approximately 1000 radios
  • Agencies Included: Two agencies that conduct daily operations across the entire county, Seattle Public Utilities and Sound Transit Operations (Link Light Rail).
  • Type of Radios: portable, mobile, control stations

Wave 2: Seattle Area Agencies and Fire & Law Enforcement Agencies North/South of I-90

  • Radio Count: Approximately 11,000 radios
  • Seattle Area Agencies Included/Type of Radios: City of Seattle departments (including Seattle Fire & Seattle Police), Sound Transit Safety, Sound Transit Police, Metro Transit Police, Seattle hospitals, some King County departments, and other agencies that primarily operate in Seattle will be receiving their portable, mobile, and control stations.
  • North/South of I-90 Fire & Law Enforcement/Type of Radios: Fire agencies in Zone 1 & Zone 3 and law enforcement agencies north/south of I-90 will receive their portable radios. They will receive their mobiles and control stations in later waves.

Wave 3: South of I-90 Agencies

  • Radio Count: Approximately 3000 radios
  • General Government Agencies Included/Type of Radios: South King County cities, schools, and other local government agencies that primarily work south of I-90 will receive their portable, mobile, and control stations
  • Fire/Law Enforcement Agencies Included/Type of Radios: Fire agencies in Zone 3 and law enforcement agencies that primarily operate south of I-90 will receive their mobiles and control stations.

Wave 4: North of I-90 Agencies

  • Radio Count: Approximately 1700 radios
  • General Government Agencies Included/Type of Radios: North King County cities, schools, and other local government agencies that primarily work north of I-90 will receive their portable, mobile, and control stations
  • Fire/Law Enforcement Agencies Included/Type of Radios: Fire agencies in Zone 1 and law enforcement agencies that primarily operate north of I-90 will receive their mobiles and control stations.