The New Haven Fire Department is upgrading its communications systems thanks to a federal grant awarded to the city.
“We really view the portable radio as part of the protective ensemble that a firefighter has,” acting New Haven fire chief Matthew Marcarelli said.
The city plans to purchase the department 95 new portable radios, replacing the 15-year-old radios firefighters are utilizing now.
“They’re not waterproof and they’re really not designed to be used by firefighters. They really have the law enforcement officer in mind,” Marcarelli said. “We’ve had some increased difficulties recently, part of that is because of maintenance issues with the older radios”
New Haven is receiving nearly $400 thousand from a Department of Homeland Security grant to assist fire departments.
Chief Marcarelli showed NBC Connecticut how the new radios are better designed for firefighters.
“When the firefighter has a gloved hand, he can adjust the volume and he can change the channel on the radio,” he said. “Plus it also has some remote controls on the speaker mic which is typically worn on the firefighter’s collar.”
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There’s also an emergency button firefighters can push if they can’t speak over the radio.
“And it will emit a loud tone so we can attempt to find the firefighter by that noise,” Marcarelli said.
These upgraded radios could make a difference when firefighters find themselves in life-threatening situations.
“It’s their lifeline of their communication between the inside of a burning building or the hazardous environment they’re operating in and the incident commander who is operating the scene,” Marcarelli said.
Each of the new radios cost between $4,000 and $5,000 and the city is chipping in 10 percent of what the federal government is contributing to pay for them.
Chief Marcarelli said he hopes the firefighters start using the new radios in the next “couple of months.”
