Tumwater approves MOU with Port of Olympia for radio equipment 

The Tumwater City Council authorized Mayor Leatta Dahlhoff to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Port of Olympia to supply the Tumwater Fire Department with radio equipment. 

The city council made the decision at a meeting on May 20. The MOU states the port will provide five portable radios to the department, which supports port rescue and firefighting operations at Olympia Regional Airport. 

The Public Safety and Health Committee endorsed the agreement at a meeting on May 12. Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Crimmins told the committee the radios were integral, as the devices would allow the department to communicate with the control tower and ground crew. 

Crimmins said the equipment will support the department's operations during the annual Olympic Air Show on June 20–21. The equipment also facilitates patient transfers and joint training events with Airlift Northwest, an air ambulance service. 

Traffic, criminal software 

The council also authorized the mayor to sign a record sharing agreement with Washington State Patrol that allows the city to access the agency’s new traffic and criminal software. 

At the same committee meeting, Tumwater Police Department acting Chief Carlos Quiles said the agreement outlines data sharing processes, expectations and protocols for resolving technical issues. 

Quiles added that without the agreement, officers would have to revert to manually writing out collision and citation forms.