Counties make progress towards improving fire scene communication
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL FILE PHOTO - Mount Carmel firefighters at the scene of a fire in Ashland on March 24, 2019.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
NORTHERN SCHUYLKILL – Over the past few weeks, hundreds of radios have been updated to improve communication at fire scenes in part of Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties.
Communication issues arose between units from each county at recent fires in Ashland and Mount Carmel, prompting the formation of a committee of officials from both counties.
“We were on multiple fires in Ashland and unable to communicate with Northumberland County, and it creates significant safety concerns, especially if you’re doing roof ventilation or RIT, and you can’t communicate with the firefighters who are 15 feet away, it makes it very difficult,” said Girardville Fire Chief and Schuylkill County Fire Chiefs Association President Frank Zangari, who spearheaded the effort.
Zangari joined together with Schuylkill and Northumberland commissioners, 911 directors, and fellow fire chiefs to find a solution.
“The commissioners from Northumberland and Schuylkill County are very proactive, I’m so pleased to be able to work with those six commissioners,” said Zangari. “Thus far, we’ve changed over 280 radios in Schuylkill County to communicate with Northumberland, and now Northumberland is working to update their radios and communicate with us.”
Schuylkill County 911 Director Scott Krater said that the radios were updated to add Northumberland’s radio frequencies and talk groups about four weeks ago, adding that the two counties operate in the same range and Schuylkill’s radios were already compatible.
“The Northumberland units coming to Schuylkill, that’s still being worked out with Northumberland County,” said Krater. “That’s their responsibility to take care of their units.”
“I can honestly say our political leaders are supporting the fire departments and fire chiefs and want to get it fixed,” Zangari added.
Attempts to contact Northumberland County officials were unsuccessful.
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