Fire Department Chief Kevin Peters said Friday, March 18, in a press release that the department was selected for a $132,597 Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters grant towards the $139,227 project. The department will chip in $6,629 to meet a required 5% match by the recipient of the grant, he added.
The department will use the funds to purchase approximately 61 VHF p25 high-band portable radios, chargers, remote speaker mics, carrying cases and shoulder straps, Peters said. This will allow for one radio per seated riding position in every piece of front-line equipment the department owns, he added.
"This is big news for our department as after various evaluations were conducted, it was determined that high-band radios are more reliable and have better coverage throughout our 69-square-mile town as compared to the current low-band system we are using," Peters said. "This will greatly benefit our department and enhance safety for our members and the public, particularly on the long stretches of remote roads where in the past there was little to no reception and into the depths of the woods and tops of the mountains where it has become common to build houses."
©2023 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
