By Philip Gambini
Niagara Gazette
LOCKPORT, N.Y. — First responders convened at the Niagara County legislative chambers Monday to rally for completion of an upgrade to the emergency radio system that would unify communication in the region.
Stop-work orders have been served on two of the radio towers: the Upper Mountain tower in Lewiston and, most recently, North Tonawanda’s tower. Both municipalities have concerns over the safety of the more-than 200-foot high structures.
Lewiston’s tower was erected before the town expressed its concern. The town’s contentions have sparked the possibility of litigation with the county over zoning codes, safety standards and procedural deficiencies in the tower’s erection.
To open the meeting, Niagara County Fire and Emergency Services Coordinator Jonathan Schultz discussed the current system’s inadequacies.
“Anyone who listens to our communications system, you hear our dispatchers, our first responders asking for things being repeated, or calls being missed, calls not being heard,” he said. “Unfortunately, that’s because of the system we had.”
Schultz explained the project would put digital radios in the hands of every first responder in the county, thereby facilitating dispatches between fire, police, and public works departments.
“We have Olcott, Terry’s Corners, Lockport, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, and the (county) jail fired up at this time,” he said.
Joining Schultz in weighing in on the system were a host of regional emergency officials: Niagara County Sheriff James R. Voutour, Lewiston Fire Company No. 1 Fire Chief John Penzotti, Upper Mountain Fire Company President Greg J.J. Sitek, and county emergency veteran Gary Hunt.
They praised modernization of the existing system and asked the public to consider the great advantage it would give to the county in terms of overall safety and efficiency in answering emergency calls. Sitek and Hunt spoke to the problems surrounding the Upper Mountain tower specifically.
“When that tower was first (proposed) on our property, you could not find more people with more pointed questions about the safety of that tower than my board of directors and our membership,” Sitek said. “I take exception ... to the term I would not want that tower in my backyard, because I have 48 members in my fire company who absolutely want that in their backyard.”
Sitek dismissed concerns about electromagnetic waves and tower collapse as overreactions.
“There’s been a lot of stuff in the press that’s coming out of our town from the supervisor and building inspector about this tower falling, as well as the residents. I went and researched it. There’s no evidence that these towers fall. They’re ignoring facts to get it out there and serve an agenda,” he said.
Sitek later explained that the exact location, within, at points, 80 feet of residential homes, was chosen to maintain a landing area for Mercy Flight and the possible expansion of the fire company’s aged meeting hall.
Hunt explained after the meeting that despite uncomfortable quarters around the tower, it is a sacrifice some residents may have to make to ensure the broader safety of the community.
“Doctors sometimes have to make a decision as to what benefits that patient, do this and let this go,” Hunt said. “But we’re going to save a life. There might be some issues down the line, but at least we’re going to save that life.”
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©2014 Niagara Gazette (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)