Franklin Township has joined other local municipalities in throwing its hat into the ring for a grant for emergency service radios for its police and fire departments.

Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the request from township fire Chief Lynn Diehl to apply for the 2025 Local Share Account Monroe County Grant.

The purpose is to purchase digital radios for both the fire company and police department, Diehl said.

He added that to replace the current radios on the proposed new digital system would cost $107,527 for vehicle-mounted portables, and $268,530 for handheld portables.

Handheld portables for the police department would cost $46,854 and another estimated $62,000 for vehicle-mounted mobiles, Diehl said.

He said they are looking at numerous grants, and added the permission he asked to apply for was for some radios through the LSA Monroe County grant, but not the full amount.

Diehl added they already have applications in for some radios through other grants.

Carbon County is in the process of switching emergency responder radio frequencies from analog to digital to help enhance communications, chiefly across county lines.

In January, neighboring Walnutport received an additional $20,000 Northampton County public safety grant for radios for Walnutport’s police and fire departments.

In November, Walnutport Borough Council approved the purchase of 40 emergency service radios for the police and fire departments through a statewide LSA grant of up to $200,000.

The council received $150,000 in October to buy the radios for the police and fire departments.

In November 2023, Walnutport Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz, who also serves as fire chief of Diamond Fire Company in Walnutport, said the Lehigh County Communications Center will be changing radio frequencies, which means the borough has to buy all new radios.

At that time, he said if the borough wouldn’t receive a grant, then to equip the police department alone would cost the borough $130,000.

Wentz said the Diamond Fire Company has to do the same, and added that cost is projected at $240,000.