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    • HOME
    • ABOUT THE RWC
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • DOCUMENTS & FORMS
    • FIRE CODE / ERRCS
    • LINKS
    • ARCHIVES
  • HOME
  • ABOUT THE RWC
  • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
  • DOCUMENTS & FORMS
  • FIRE CODE / ERRCS
  • LINKS
  • ARCHIVES

Our History

  • In 2001 the City of Phoenix issued bonds to implement a new State of the Art 800 MHz digital trunked radio system.  At that time the existing VHF communications system used by the City of Phoenix’s public safety and other departments was based on outdated technology and was no longer able to meet the operational needs of its users. 
  • The system went live in 2005 as the Phoenix Regional Wireless Network, or PRWN. 
  • In 2008, after much study and consideration, the forward-thinking leadership at the City of Phoenix realized that there were great advantages to the concept of regionalization of communications, so PRWN was dissolved and became the Regional Wireless Cooperative, or RWC. This allowed the RWC to begin offering communications services to Member agencies.  
  • In 2019, after many years of management by the Phoenix Fire Department, the RWC assumed responsibility for the still-in-use Fire VHF (“conventional”) simplex radio system. This system is used by all Metro Phoenix Fire Departments for hazard-zone (Fires, Hazmat, etc…) communications.
  • Today, guided by our Member agencies, the RWC oversees the administration, operation, management, maintenance, and growth of these two large regional communications networks. We continue to strive toward equity, efficiency, and excellence in all that we do.  

Current RWC logo (2022)

About Us

  • The RWC currently includes 22 Cities, Towns, Fire Districts, and other Government agencies located in the Phoenix metropolitan region, as well as two Associate, one Long-Term Conditional and nearly 50 Interoperability Participating agencies.  The RWC is Member driven and truly regional. Because of this our system can provide significantly wider coverage--beyond what cities could achieve individually--seamless interoperability, shared resources, such as people, equipment and tower sites, and funding and financial responsibilities shared by all Members based on their relative size and number of radios on the system.
  • The RWC is structured as a cooperative venture via intergovernmental agreements, governed by a Board of Directors, with all Members of the RWC having a seat and a vote on the Board. The Board directs the operation, maintenance, planning, design, implementation, and financing of the RWC. Membership is open to all local, county, state, federal and tribal governmental entities.   

The Radio Networks

  • The RWC utilizes both a Motorola ASTRO 25™ 700 MHz digital trunked radio system, and a VHF Simplex system dedicated to Fire Hazard-Zone operations. These systems provide coverage to 3.5 million residents across 5,000 square miles of south-central Arizona. Our Membership reaches from the Town of Wickenburg in the far northwest to the City of Maricopa in the far south and from the Harquahala Valley in the far west to Scottsdale, Tempe, and Chandler in the east. The system is comprised of 20,000 Member radios with 20,000+ in use by interoperability participants (Local, State, Federal and Tribal agencies authorized to use the system to communicate with RWC agencies). 

Our Leadership

  • The RWC is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of one executive representative from each Member agency. The Board has the responsibility to provide the vision, mission, and goals of the organization, monitor policy, govern the cooperative, represent and protect Member interest in the cooperative, appropriate the annual budget, ensure the assets of the cooperative are adequately maintained, and finally monitor and control function. The Board oversees the annual financial audit process, and ensures the audit is done in a timely manner each year.
  • The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and serves as a non-voting Member of the RWC Executive Committee. The Executive Director is supported by multiple working groups comprised of our Members' technical and operational representatives. The Executive Director oversees four (4) staff members who assist with the administration and financial management of the RWC. This team is housed in the City of Phoenix Office of Government Relations acting on behalf of the RWC as the Administrative Manager.
  • The City of Phoenix serves as the Administrative Manager of the RWC, responsible for overseeing the administrative and operational aspects of the two networks. The RWC reimburses Phoenix for providing all support, employment, benefits, and costs to operate the system. Phoenix also acts as the Maintenance Managing Member for all RWC zones except Zone 3 (Simulcast H) which operates in and is managed by the City of Scottsdale. The Radio Shop is made up of 26 employees that work diligently on behalf of the Network. They, along with our Members agency wireless communications staff leads are what ensures the Network functions at its highest level. 

Member Agencies

Arizona Fire and Medical Authority (AFMA)*

https://www.afma.az.gov/


City of Avondale

https://www.avondaleaz.gov/

 

City of Buckeye

https://www.buckeyeaz.gov/

 

City of Chandler 

https://www.chandleraz.gov/


Daisy Mountain Fire Department

https://www.daisymountainfire.org/

 

City of El Mirage

https://www.elmirageaz.gov/


Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

 https://www.frbsf.org/


City of Glendale 

https://www.glendaleaz.com/


City of Goodyear 

https://www.goodyearaz.gov/


Town of Guadalupe

https://www.guadalupeaz.org/


Harquahala Fire District 

http://www.hfdaz.org/


 City of Maricopa

https://www.maricopa-az.gov/ 

Maricopa County Community College District

https://district.maricopa.edu/ 

 

Town of Paradise Valley

https://www.paradisevalleyaz.gov/


City of Peoria 

https://www.peoriaaz.gov/


City of Phoenix

https://www.phoenix.gov/

 

City of Scottsdale 

https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/


Sun City Fire and Medical Dept.

https://www.scfmd.az.gov/

 

City of Surprise 

https://www.surpriseaz.gov/


City of Tempe 

https://www.tempe.gov/


City of Tolleson

https://www.tolleson.az.gov/


Town of Wickenburg 

https://www.ci.wickenburg.az.us/





*AFMA - Comprised of the Buckeye Valley, North County, 

South County, and Tonopah Fire Districts

Conditional Participants


Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

https://www.atf.gov/


Conditional Participants utilize the RWC system for day-to-day operations, but are not part of the governing Board (RWC Governance Section 2.1.3)


Associates


American Medical Response, Inc. (AMR)

https://www.amr.net/


Maricopa Ambulance

https://www.maricopaambulance.com/


Associates are authorized to use the RWC system while under contract to provide services to RWC Member agencies (RWC Governance Section 2.1.1)


Interoperability

The RWC system provides a platform on which to interoperate with many other agencies. 80 interoperability talk groups (“channels”) are available to facilitate communications between RWC Members and other public sector agencies across Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS and other areas.   The RWC provides interoperability access to Federal, State, County, Tribal, Local and other public safety agencies to facilitate cross-functional communications.  Nearly 50 agencies across the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Region are currently RWC interoperability partners.


RWC Administration

JOHN IMIG

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

ALMIRA SANTOS

Executive Director

john.imig@phoenix.gov

(602) 495-2426

ALMIRA SANTOS

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

ALMIRA SANTOS

Accountant IV

almira.santos@phoenix.gov

(602) 534-3780

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

Management Assistant II

nicholas.roosevelt@phoenix.gov

(602) 534-3781

SELENA BARNER

SELENA BARNER

NICHOLAS ROOSEVELT

Administrative Aide

selena.barner@phoenix.gov

(602) 495-5761

MARK SAMPSON

SELENA BARNER

MARK SAMPSON

Accountant I

mark.sampson@phoenix.gov

(602) 534-1921

CONTACT US

SELENA BARNER

MARK SAMPSON

team@rwcaz.org

(602) 495-5725

Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC)

200 W Washington St., 14th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1611

602-495-5765 or team@rwcaz.org

Copyright © 2025 Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) - All Rights Reserved.

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