MONROE — Following an effort to replace the video systems in Monroe emergency vehicles, police and fire personnel will soon have access to new on-board computers.

That is after the Monroe Common Council agreed to a nearly $100,000 combined plan for new, state of the art computers in both squad cars and fire trucks.

The change, officials said, is way overdue.

“As they (old computers) went bad they went with iPads but we didn’t have good luck with them,” said Fire Chief Al Rufer, speaking at the October 16 City Council meeting, during which the replacement effort was approved.

Mobile data is essential for first responders in today’s environment officials said.

“The Police Department Mobile Data Computer’s (MDC) are due to be replaced,” city staff wrote, in a memo to the council prior to the vote. “These computers are used daily in the police squad cars for police call information, writing citations and managing the video recording system.”

The new units for police are Panasonic Toughbook FZ-40’s and the quote from the equipment provider includes the cost of a vehicle docking station. The police computers, about eight of them, will cost about $54,000 to install in all vehicles.

Funding for the purchase will come from capital equipment funds “designated for this purpose” officials said. The fire department units, meanwhile, will cost just over $46,000 and will be installed in all vehicles except two reserve trucks, said Rufer. All of them will be compatible with existing computers for police, fire, and emergency services.

“These will go in the command vehicles and front-line apparatus,” said Rufer. “This will get us up to date with computers.”

A few of the fire department units will be designed to be easily removed for use in any emergency services operations effort, he added.

In September, the council approved spending about $39,000 for seven new, Panasonic, dash camera systems for police use, another major technological upgrade for local first responders.