Can you hear me now? Fire commissioners seek communications solutions

With a one-two punch, Shelter Island Fire Commissioners responded Monday night to ensure Southold dispatchers know how many calls aren’t being transmitted here and to spend more money on what they expect will be a temporary solution to improving communications.

Concerned that faulty communications could result in a failure to respond appropriately to an emergency, the commissioners wanted to be sure Southold was on up to speed on the problem.

They authorized their communications expert, Andrew Heinz of Holbrook’s Integrated Wireless Technologies, to write a letter to Southold police, who handle Island dispatching services, to tell them some firefighters weren’t receiving pages and others were receiving incomplete ones.

Mr. Heinz will also explore moving equipment atop a water tower in Greenport to a tower in Peconic that is thought to be in better condition. The Greenport tower is “literally falling apart,” Mr. Heinz told Commissioner Larry Lechmanski, who has been monitoring Shelter Island’s communications since the Federal Communications Commission mandated that there be a transition from low band — which Shelter Island still uses — to high band service for first responders.

Suffolk County provides backup service for any agency that requests it and plans to continue to provide low band service through 2020, according to Greg Miniutti, chief of communications for the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services.

Suffolk County has gradually been transitioning to high band communications for local departments and that service will eventually extend to the East End, Mr. Miniutti said.

But because many western communities no longer need low band support, the county can stockpile low band equipment for smaller communities — such as Shelter Island — that make the transition more slowly, he added.

That means the county should be able to handle backup low band service through 2020 as promised, he said.

“We made the commitment,” Mr. Miniutti said about providing low band coverage through 2020 and the county will do its best to stick with that time line, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Heinz advised Shelter Island commissioners to purchase equipment — called a “repeater” — to boost and amplify calls. He also recommended the purchase of seven additional pagers to add to the three already on order.

The original order was billed to the fire district at $35,000 and the changes in equipment will increase the cost by almost $10,000.

Commissioners unanimously approved the change, but it will take 60 days from the date the order is placed to have the equipment up and running, Mr. Lechmanski said.

Even though this week saw an improvement in communications, there were still problems, including one call on Monday that Chief Greg Sulahian said he didn’t get, despite being only a block away from the Center firehouse. First Assistant Chief Anthony Reiter got the call and responded.

The 10 new pagers will be distributed to firefighters at various parts of the Island.

While awaiting the new repeater and pagers, it may be necessary to train some department members to handle calls coming to the Center firehouse and paging them out locally, Mr. Lechmanski said.
Commissioners are also waiting on applications to be filed by Elite Towers’ attorney, to gain permission for a new tower at the Manhanset firehouse on Cobbetts Lane.

Attorney John Coughlin of Ré, Nielsen, Huber & Coughlin said last week he is compiling information necessary to file those applications with the town Building Department, Zoning Board of Appeals and Town Board.