Wilton emergency groups to ‘piggyback’ onto state’s communication system
WILTON — Following a two-plus year exploratory process and a multimonth study, the town’s emergency response bodies are uniformly behind joining the state police emergency communication system, the most favored of the three possible options the town had for bettering its radio system.
Wilton police officer Thomas Conlan told the Board of Selectman on Tuesday that, in partnership with the fire department, volunteer ambulance corps, Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks and Recreation, the police would like to “move forward” with the option to join the state’s system.
Paul Zito, owner of New England Radio Consultants, compiled estimates after looking into the three possible options this summer — to replace the current standalone system with the four sites presently available to the town, to replace the system with an added site, or to go to the state’s emergency communication system.
Based on those studies, Conlan revealed cost estimates ranging from $2.6 million to $3.2 million to acquire and implement the equipment from Motorola needed for the state option. The other two options had ranges with high ends that topped out at $2.1 and $2.4 million.
Although the initial building price for the state option is pricier, Conlan explained the actual cost for maintenance year over year would be lower than its competing options.
Over a five-year stint, a replacement of the town’s standalone system would cost just under $509,000, while “piggybacking,” as Conlan called it, on to the state system would cost $440,000.
The lower maintenance cost is a result of higherpowered frequencies emitted from the state system; therefore, fewer sites would need to be utilized to implement this system. Under this plan, the town would also only be responsible for the upkeep of two of the three sites.
Conlan explained that the state system’s equipment utilizes a radio frequency that emits 700 to 800 MHz. The town’s standalone system operates at 400 MHz and would need to utilize either four or five cell towers, which would drive the cost of maintenance up.
First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice said funding for this project could come from the American Rescue Plan Act. Conlan also applied for a federal grant with a potential to bring the town an additional $938,000, if approved.
The current emergency communications system, which Conlan said is at its “end of life” after being built to last 15 to 20 years in 2002, emits signals from four towers — one on Fenwood Lane owned by the state, another at the Transfer Station, one near Deer Run Road owned by Westport Broadcasting and the last over the border in Weston.
The replacement of the current standalone system would either utilize all four towers or include a fifth — the proposed Verizon tower at the bus barn near Middlebrook Middle School.
Conlan said the study showed that the replacement of the standalone system still would not provide the coverage that joining the state’s system would. A standalone system also would not “have room for future growth,” as additional channels could not be added and would cause “poor interoperability” between nearby departments looking to provide mutual aid, he said.
“We rely heavily on mutual aid when there are significant incidents in town,” Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield told the selectmen on Tuesday.
Blanchfield said when he was hired, he was asked what his priorities were in a five-year window. “More than one channel to talk on,” he told the board, adding that all responders on the scene of a structure fire, storm or any emergency are competing for time on one channel. Going with the state option, he said, “fixes that issue.”
The fire department, as well as police and EMS, also are hamstrung by the current system’s lack of coverage within larger commercial buildings along Route 7/Danbury Road. While a standalone system with a fifth tower helps that cause, Conlan said the state option will provide the best coverage along a road that is seeing significant growth focus both commercially and residentially.
Police Chief John Lynch agreed, saying the state system best suits the town’s needs.
Despite having lower maintenance costs, Conlan pointed out that joining the state would mean that the town would have to purchase whatever equipment is approved by the state for the system. The state would “bid and select infrastructure equipment and mandate lifecycle support,” Conlan said.
After a lengthy presentation, the selectmen voted unanimously to “instruct Conlan to further explore option three and deliver the proper work” so that the town could consider that option moving forward.