BALTIMORE – June 5, 2012 -- Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (left) receives an interoperable radio from Mark Moon, executive vice president of Sales and Field Operations for Motorola Solutions, Inc., to mark the first call on Maryland FiRST, the First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team. The new system, designed by Motorola Solutions, will provide state and local public safety agencies in Maryland with access to a digital and secure radio system for emergency communications.

BALTIMORE, MD—June 5,2012—From the Inner Harbor in Baltimore today, Gov.  Martin O’Malley contacted state police and local government  officials at Pikesville, Cecil County, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and  Kent County on the Eastern Shore when he made the first call on the  Maryland First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team, or “Maryland  FiRST.” The new system was designed and installed by Motorola  Solutions Inc.

“All of the radios that our police officers and firefighters carry  should enable them to communicate with other jurisdictions or  departments, not only during large-scale emergencies, but also for  basic, daily operations”, says O’Malley. “By building Maryland FiRST, we are making great  progress toward this critical goal of interoperability for our public  safety agencies. Our first responders deserve modern communications  equipment to perform their jobs in the safest and most effective way  possible.”

Maryland FiRST will provide state agencies and local jurisdictions  access to a digital and secure radio system for emergency  communications. Most existing public safety radio systems in the state  will be compatible with Maryland FiRST, which will help O’Malley  accomplish his primary homeland security goal of establishing a  seamless, interoperable communications system to connect Maryland’s  first responders.

The initial phase of Maryland FiRST, serving central Maryland and the  I-95 corridor, will be fully operational by the end of the year when  testing and user training are completed. The system will serve all parts  of Maryland within four years.

“Helping our federal, state and local government customers achieve  maximum interoperability is a high priority for Motorola Solutions,” says  Mark Moon, executive vice president of sales and field operations,  Motorola Solutions Inc. “We  are pleased to work with the state of Maryland to establish Maryland  FiRST and create a fully digital and secure radio system that enables  police and other first responders to react quickly and effectively in  emergencies. First responders will rely on Maryland FiRST to complete  their missions, and Motorola is committed to providing the dependable  communications they need.”

KEY FACTS

• Maryland  First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team, or “Maryland  FiRST,” is the first interoperable statewide 700 MHz radio  communications system in Maryland for state and local public safety  agencies.
• The Maryland FiRST system features P25 Phase 2 TDMA that will enable  the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Kent County to meet  the narrowbanding  requirements established by the Federal Communications Commission  (FCC) before the Jan. 1, 2013, deadline.
• The Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland State Police and Kent  County will be the first users of Maryland FiRST.
• Motorola Solutions was awarded a contract from the state of Maryland  to begin the design and installation of a statewide interoperable  emergency communications network on Nov. 17, 2010.
• The first phase of Maryland FiRST, providing coverage in central  Maryland, including the I-95 corridor, will be fully operational by  the end of 2012 when testing and user training are completed. This  initial phase will provide coverage to serve one-third of Maryland’s  estimated population of nearly 6 million and two-thirds of the state’s  critical infrastructure.
• Maryland FiRST will provide a high level of interoperability to state  and local agencies, as well as connectivity to federal agencies  through national shared frequencies.
• The next phase will build-out the system on the Eastern Shore and be  completed by the end of 2013.

Maryland FiRST will be completed by 2016, allowing the capability for  all Maryland police, firefighters, emergency medical services (EMS),  emergency management personnel and other first responders to  communicate on the same system.

About Motorola Solutions
Motorola Solutions is a leading provider of mission-critical  communication solutions and services for enterprise and government  customers. Through leading-edge innovation and communications  technology, it is a global leader that enables its customers to be their  best in the moments that matter. Motorola Solutions trades on the New  York Stock Exchange under the ticker “MSI.” To learn more, visit www.motorolasolutions.com.  For ongoing news, please visit our media  center or subscribe to our news  feed.