Public safety agencies on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including local law enforcement and fire/rescue agencies, will be migrating to a new radio communications system known as the Eastern Shore of Virginia Regional Radio System (ESVARRS), in mid-January 2026. Efforts towards the implementation of the new radio system, with project costs totaling close to 10 million dollars, started several years ago. Built by L3Harris Technologies, ESVARRS is a state-of-the art digital, trunked, radio system operating on the 700 MHz radio spectrum using six simulcasted sites; it replaces the existing outdated analog radio systems used for public safety radio communications in Accomack and Northampton Counties. ESVARRS will provide reliable radio communications using advanced technology to promote robust and enhanced radio communications, additional interoperability, and greater coverage, all promoting the safety of the public and responders. Northampton County Public Schools is a user of ESVARRS and began using the new radio system for bus transportation and administrative services in mid-December 2025.
While there are scanners capable for monitoring most fire/rescue radio communications on the ESVARRS, these scanners need to be capable of monitoring a Project 25 Phase 2 trunked radio system in the 700 MHz spectrum and are typically more expensive than traditional scanners. Law enforcement radio communications on ESVARRS will be encrypted, meaning scanners will not be able to monitor. While encrypted law enforcement radio communications will limit the public's capability to monitor, it promotes operational security for law enforcement operations and protects individual personal identifiable information. Dispatch services will continue to be provided by the Eastern Shore of Virginia 9-1-1 Center, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office, the Northampton County Sheriff's Office, and/or the Chincoteague Police Department based on the type of incident and jurisdiction involved.