"Connecticut first responders will be the first in the nation to have a common radio channel in place," said Governor Rell. "State and local police will all be able to talk to each other on the same frequency. This is a major step forward, and Connecticut's system will now be viewed as a model for the rest of the country."
"Prior to today, a Connecticut police officer in pursuit of a suspect across town borders has limited ability - and in many cases no ability - to communicate with other responding agencies. That lack of communication hampers our law enforcement officers' ability to effectively and quickly coordinate personnel across town borders and it puts officers' safety at risk.
"The lines of communication must be kept open during a crisis. With the same radio frequency, the connection is instantaneous. This new emergency radio network provides law enforcement officers with the ability to move from town to town and from region to region and communicate with other agencies, State Police and dispatch centers."
"I wanted this common channel in place by hurricane season, and I am pleased to see that the rollout of this technology is on track. Not only will this system benefit our response to homeland security emergencies and natural disasters, it will also improve our Amber Alerts system by providing an instant broadcast capability for time sensitive information."
State and local law enforcement and emergency management officials joined Governor Rell for the Meriden announcement. Governor Rell has declared September National Preparedness Month.
