Patent Trader Article: Lewisboro Emergency communications

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Lewisboro: Report: Emergency communications system 'inadequate'

BY PATRICK GORMAN  

THE PATENT TRADER  

(Original publication: December 4, 2003)  

The communications system that supports emergency service responders in Lewisboro is inadequate, according to a report from the county's Department of Emergency Services. Town officials are now mulling ways to fix the deficiencies.  

But the need for more EMS communications does not necessarily mean more cellular towers in town.  

The town's Emergency Preparedness Task Force requested a "Hazardous Analysis Report" from the county's Department of Emergency Services last summer, in an effort to find any areas of concern for the town from a public safety standpoint.  

"We invited them in and worked with them. They determined there is a lack of reliable communication, and that's a real concern," said Councilwoman Jessica Bacal, who heads the task force.  

The report, which was released in August, states that "public safety communications are difficult at best. The town may want to consider the installation of a cell tower to improve public safety communication capabilities."  

But that doesn't necessarily mean large cell towers popping up all over town, according to Ted Sohonyay, chair of the town's Antenna Advisory Board.  

"This is a very complex topic. There is nothing more important than communication in an emergency situation," said Sohonyay, who is familiar with such issues through his work as an engineer for cellular giant Motorola.  

Though the county's report suggests a cell tower as a remedy to the town's communications shortcomings, Sohonyay said the town could remedy the situation with radio antennas that need no tower.  

"An antenna is not a tower. They are 3 to 6 feet long, and you could put them on the side of an existing building," he said.  

There are several areas in town that have spotty cellular service, but that does not present a public safety hazard for emergency service workers, Sohonyay said.  

The next step for the town is to decide what direction they want to go in, either with a cell tower or with radio antennas.  

"To implement a townwide communications network could run into the millions of dollars, depending on what the town wants to do," Sohonyay said.  

He said the Antenna Board may meet with the Emergency Preparedness Task Force to begin discussing a plan for the future, he said.  

As for the future of cell towers in town, Planning Board Chairwoman Jacqueline Dzaluk said the town hasn't received any proposals for new towers in a while.  

"We don't tell people where to put their towers. We haven't seen as many applications recently. We'll review them when they come in," Dzaluk said.