In police work, seconds count. That’s why the installation of a monopole at Trumbull Police Headquarters to improve emergency communications and cell service in southwestern Connecticut is good news.
The project has taken eight years. Deputy Chief Glenn Byrnes tells the Trumbull Times the platform for the emergency dispatch radios has been installed, and they await two-way radio gear to be installed.
The new tower is part of a larger communications upgrade. That includes replacing a lattice tower with a monopole that’s about 30’ taller and the installation of seven additional towers in town.
T-Mobile first proposed erecting a 180-foot tower in 2009, but both neighbors and the police union objected, worrying about lowered property values and the potential effects of RF radiation, according to the account. The state approved a 130-foot pole in 2012, and in 2014, 20 feet was added upon police recommendation.
“When what was supposed to be a simple call gets complicated, their only line of defense is the radio. It’s more important than a bulletproof vest or a gun,” said former Police Chief Tom Kiely at the 2014 tower siting meeting.
He cited service dead zones as reason to upgrade the infrastructure. Those concerns included being unable to contact Byrnes during a bank robbery and having to drive further to receive a signal.
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