Groton fire, EMS join state radio system
Mar. 13—GROTON — The announcement transmitted over dispatch at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday that all departments for Groton Fire Alarm were operating on the state radio system was met with applause as fire, EMS, police, city, and town officials, gathered at the town police department.
The moment marked a two-year effort to switch Groton's fire departments and EMS to the state's Connecticut Land Mobile Radio Network, joining local police who had previously switched to the system.
The state system allows the local departments to talk to other departments and state agencies across the state. In an emergency, the police and fire departments and ambulance services could all switch to the same channel and talk as a group.
"I think this will be a huge step forward," Edward "Ted" Sargent, deputy fire chief at the City of Groton Fire Department and the president of the Groton Fire Officers Association, said during the transfer to the state system.
Sargent said every fire chief knows that a huge part of responding to any incident is communications, and he's very hopeful and confident that the move will enhance that.
Sargent said the system will provide clear communication, improve coverage and allow the fire departments and ambulance associations to better communicate with other departments.
The Town of Groton Police joined the state radio network in 2019, becoming the first municipal police department to join the network, said Town of Groton Police Chief Louis J. Fusaro, Jr. Stonington joined soon after. Other agencies, including Groton Long Point Police, the City of Groton Police, Norwich Police and Norwich fire departments, have joined the system.
Groton Long Point Fire Chief Arnie Lotring, the vice president of the Groton Fire Officers Association, said in a phone interview that the Groton Fire Officers Association, which all of Groton's fire departments and ambulance associations belong to and which works together on training opportunities, was the driving force behind the effort to move from their existing communications system, which was becoming basically obsolete, to the state-of-the art system.
Seven fire departments ― City of Groton, Poquonnock Bridge, Center Groton, Groton Long Point, Noank, Mystic and Old Mystic ― and two ambulance associations ― the Mystic River Ambulance Association and Groton Ambulance Association ― were part of the effort, Lotring said.
Clayton Northgraves, director of statewide emergency telecommunications for the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said by phone that the state allows local governmental institutions and first responders to connect to the system at no charge, as the taxpayer-funded infrastructure is already in place and maintained by the state, though towns are responsible for buying compatible equipment.
He said the network, used by the state police, has about 80 towers spread throughout the state and plenty of capacity.
In recent years, the network has become more and more popular. Northgraves said almost every state agency is being converted to the system, and a growing number of local municipalities and a number of federal agencies have joined the system.
Northgraves said the system provides statewide coverage, so anyone on the system can talk to anyone else that is on it.
"It's a huge benefit to everybody in Connecticut," Northgraves said.
Fusaro said the police's radio system went down one day in 2017 due to a lightning strike. He said that President Donald Trump was scheduled to fly into Groton-New London Airport later that day. The state immediately came to set up shop in the dispatch center, with the Groton police later being able to restore its system. He said that convinced everyone that joining the state's system was the way to go.
Noank Fire Chief Michael Gale said one issue for his department has been the reliability of communications along the shoreline. He said the system will help by making communications more reliable during boat rescues and shoreline emergency responses.
Sargent said an estimated $800,000 federal grant covered 90% of the costs of equipment, with the local fire and emergency services contributing the remaining 10%.
In addition, the town allocated $110,000 in the current budget to upgrade the dispatch facility, said Town Manager John Burt.
"We've seen repeatedly in emergencies, communication is key to a swift response so this just allows us to better respond to any emergency out there," Burt said.
