Pocono News Section

New Radios for Scranton's Fire Department

New Radios for Scranton's Fire Department - Friday, February 8, 2008 at 12:40PM EST

Reported by: David DeCosmo
Friday, Feb 8, 2008 @12:40pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- Scranton's Fire Department will use federal money to improve its communications equipment. It's part of a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency totaling over $300,000.

Over the course of the next year Scranton firefighters will be getting some brand new firefighting equipment. It won't come in the form of new engines or fire extinguishers but rather new state-of-the-art radios.

Scranton Fire Department Chief Tom Davis explained, "It’s going to give us portable radios. It’s going to give us base radios in the fire stations and mobile radios in our cars. It’s going to bring us into the next century."

Chief Davis said communications are vital on the job. One recent example involves the fire at the old laundry building last month when firemen had to be ordered to get out of the structure when it was feared the roof was collapsing.

"Everything is communications in the fire department. If we get the wrong information or wrong communications it could be disastrous," said Chief Davis.

The department currently uses several different types and styles of radios. Some are so old that replacement parts are no longer available. With the grant each fireman will be able to carry a radio. The new units will also give firemen the ability to communicate with other emergency responders.

Scranton Fire Department Assistant Chief J.R. Davis explained, "This is a step of trying to be able to inter-operate between all the agencies and so forth through one communications center."

The City of Scranton will have to come up with $80,000 as its share of the communications investment for the fire department. The conversion to the new units is expected to take place over the next 6 months to a year.