"We had an active shooter drill last year at the high school, and we had no communications inside the building. What would have happened if that had been a real event?" he said. Since then, the schools have upgraded their internal systems so that now officers can speak to each other within the building. But they still can't communicate with dispatch.
Article 51 on the May 20 ballot seeks to change that. Voters are being asked make a third and final financial commitment to a multi-year effort that has included the purchase of updated dispatch consoles and a new antenna at the new station on Hannaford Drive.
The scope of the proposed project is quite large and so is the cost — $526,000. But Bracy said he wants to assure voters that once the system is in place, the town will be close to 100 percent covered and the equipment will be good for another 20 years.
Most of the money will be used to purchase new antenna towers and microwave systems that will be erected throughout town. The plan is to erect three "simulcast" sites that will allow simultaneous transmission of audio on the same frequency from two or more sites. These will be the core of the system. At this point, these towers are expected to be located on Birch Hill Road, at the public works garage on Chases Pond Road and at the Cliff House on Shore Road.
Cliff House, for instance, has to install its own microwave system as part of state-mandated life safety requirements, said Bracy, and will be partnering with the town if voters approve this measure. The hotel will pick up $80,000 or more of the cost, and the town, just over $16,000.
Selectmen raised questions about the Chases Pond Road site, if voters approve a separate measure on the May ballot to buy a Maine Department of Transportation garage on Route 1 and public works moves there. If the tower is on the old DPW site, would that hinder the town's ability to eventually sell the property? Bracy said a 25-feet by 25-feet area is needed to erect the tower, a very small portion of the overall parcel. Cost of that tower is expected to be $151,400.
Selectmen also wondered if the tower in western York could be placed on the town landfill instead of on the Birch Hill Road property of Jack's Towing. The town would pay $1,200 a month rent, and selectmen have asked Bracy to explore town-owned options. The cost to erect that tower is estimated at $129,500.
Finally, "receiver" towers are also expected to be installed at the Village fire station, all four schools, Mount Agamenticus and at the old station in York Beach.
The new towers at the schools will be hooked up to the schools' fiber system, which will allow for transmission through the tower to police dispatch.
"So during a school emergency or a natural emergency, we will be able to run our own show. That, to me, is extremely important," he said.
The end result of all of this work will be to allow officers and dispatchers to be in contact at all times throughout the town and in all situations.
In addition, he said, this will be a benefit to the town's bus drivers, who will be able to speak to each other and their dispatcher on a separate frequency, and all of the town's emergency personnel including firefighters and ambulance workers. In addition, the antenna system can serve neighboring communities as well.
"If Eliot or South Berwick has a fire in some remote location and they have a means to switch over to our platform, they can do that," he said.
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