Inventory the sources before comparing features
The name of a radio platform or protocol does not establish recording compatibility. Document the actual configuration and ask each vendor to confirm the supported connection.
- List systems, recording interfaces, versions, channels, and expected concurrent traffic.
- Identify required timestamps and source metadata, including unit or talkgroup fields where available.
- Record who owns each technical dependency and how configuration changes are communicated.
Demonstrate a real retrieval task
Choose a representative incident that includes the types of communications reviewers actually need. Use authorized test material and evaluate the complete path from capture to playback.
- Find a specific exchange using the fields staff will know at the start of a search.
- Verify intelligibility, timestamps, and available source metadata against the test record.
- Review related phone and radio communications and document the steps required to find each.
Plan retention, access, and historical records
Storage duration is only one part of a recording plan. Staff also need a clear process for access, retrieval, and continued use of historical recordings.
- Document the agency’s retention schedule and expected storage growth.
- Identify authorized roles and the records retrieval workflow.
- Confirm migration or retained-access options for historical archives instead of assuming universal import.
Test intelligence on representative radio audio
If transcription or AI-assisted review is in scope, evaluate it on the audio conditions your center encounters. Check what the output gets right and what a human reviewer must resolve.
- Include background noise, overlapping speech, local terminology, and weak audio.
- Compare relevant names, locations, and unit references with the original recording.
- Confirm which sources and capabilities are supported and how reviewers return to the audio.
Write the acceptance decision
Convert the demonstration into a record of what passed, what remains unresolved, and who owns the next step.
- Record each requirement, test evidence, result, and owner.
- Separate verified capability from a proposed configuration or future request.
- Agree on cutover, staff training, and support contacts before rollout.