New Canaan Upgrades Public Safety Radio System

NEW CANAAN, CT — The town recently completed a comprehensive, $2.3 million upgrade to its Public Safety Radio System, New Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan announced.

The improved system serves the town's Fire, Police, Ambulance Corps and Public Works vehicle and hand-held mobile radios, and utilizes state-of-the-art simulcast radio technology to substantially improve coverage. It also gives first responders the ability to operate safely and provide better security to residents throughout town.

"While the new public radio system provides a vast improvement in supporting public safety, the need for improved cellular phone coverage in the North and West parts of town remains a critical challenge for the public safety of our residents, first responders and Public Works staff in emergency situations arising from extreme weather events and power outages," Moynihan said in a statement.

Planning for the system upgrade began in 2014 when significant radio system deficiencies were identified, particularly in the Northwest and West portions of town, where first responder portable radios received poor signal reception and, in some cases, no reception at all, according to Moynihan.

Additionally, the computerized backbone of the old radio system was aging and nearing obsolescence, because the old system had a "single-point-of-failure" design, with broadcasting antennas only on the Waveny Water Tank, which exposed the town to losing its entire public safety radio system in a severe storm.

"The age and condition of the system was in dire need of an overhaul," Moynihan said.

The five-year upgrade project was led by Stuart Sawabini, a former Chairman of the Police Commission and a director with New Canaan’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Deputy Police Chief John DiFederico, and Public Works senior engineer Joe Zagarenski. The upgrade planning and implementation process required about 35 presentations and cross departmental coordination with various authorities resulting in national, state or town oversight.

Testing of the new system was performed on virtually every road in New Canaan, and the results so far have exceeded the 95 percent minimum voice clarity standard, according to Moynihan.

He added that most importantly, the "Northwest portion of town now has vastly improved coverage, as does West School."