Col. Timothy P. Alben, superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, announces at a press conference Tuesday outside the Russell State Police barracks the completion and activation of a new digital radio system in western Massachusetts which will enhance public safety through improved communications . (Photo by Carl E. Hartdegen)
RUSSELL – A new digital radio system for western Massachusetts will enhance public safety, Col. Timothy P. Alben, superintendent of the State Police, said at a press conference staged in front of the Russell State Police barracks Tuesday to announce the activation of the network.
Alben said that the $42 million radio system for Troop B has been in the works since 1997 and was funded by a 2002 state grant approved by the legislature with the support of the governor. The 800 megahertz radio network will provide more reliable communications for troopers in the field and will also accommodate many other agencies.
“It was quite expensive, it was an engineering challenge and it took many, many years to accomplish. It will allow for seamless communications between patrols that are out there and their stations” he said. “It’s far, far, far more comprehensive than anything we’ve ever had before.”
Troop B covers the western third of the state and Alben explained that, until the new system became operational, troopers in the western hills, especially when working in low lying valleys, could not count on reliable communications with their stations and the assets available there.
Alben said that, unlike the eastern part of the state, the hills and valleys of the western counties make for severe communications problems which, until the new system came on line, meant that troopers were sometimes isolated and unable to call for assistance.
He said that 28 new radio towers in the Troop B area have been utilized for the greatly improved communication system but said that there are still five small areas where radio communication is “spotty.” He said, however, that five additional towers will be erected, by June, to cover those areas.
Alben said that the new system will also be available to other agencies including the Department of Fire Services, MEMA, the Departemt of Corrections and the Environmental Police.
“There will be radio capacity for local public service agencies to join the radio network in the future,” he said.
In response to a question, he said that the cost of radios to use the system will probably be an issue for many of the smaller communities as, they would need a base radio at their stations, radios for the cruisers and for the individual officers.
“I think a hand-held digital radio can be about $6,000. They’re very expensive” he said.
However, Alben announced that the Huntington police will be one of the first to utilize the new system.
Huntington Police Chief Robert Garriepy attended the press conference and confirmed that his town has been preparing to use the new system.
He said that his town has funding for the new radio system but it took three years to secure it.
“It’s such a large purchase that we couldn’t do it all at once, so over a three year period, through different sources, town, state and federal money, we were able to get enough money to complete the project,” he said.
Huntington will not be the first community to use the system, Garriepy said, since Hatfield has been using the system for years.
But Kenneth Short, Troop B’s communications coordinator, explained that the Hatfield force has been using the analog version of the system only for their emergency backup communications.
“All their primary stuff is done on the local county frequency,” he said.
In Huntington, however, the new digital system will be the primary communication resource.
Garriepy said the system will be in use “within a month.”
The shaded areas on a map of western Massachusetts indicate the areas covered by a newly activated digital radio system which was announced Tuesday at a press conference at the Russell State Police barracks.
