Stratford Police and EMS Radio System 'Degraded'

The radio signal for the Stratford Police and EMS operation has allegedly developed some type of an issue.

A friend of mine who is an amateur radio operator (HAM) emailed me some interesting information recently.

The radio signal for the Stratford police and EMS operation has, as he called it, "degraded," the voice volume is very low on both of the frequencies and can just about be heard.

The fire department is better but not by much for signal strength. This may be a new way of keeping the public and the media in the dark as to what is transmitted over the airways.

I do not monitor Stratford police or Stratford EMS. Stratford fire frequency is in a special black box that fell off a truck in front of my apartment door about three months ago. 

I have a radio which is locked on to the New York Police Department's Special Operations, T.A.R.A. and Hercules units and the New York Fire Department's new fire frequencies and subway command nets, and bridges and tunnels command nets.

My HAM friend got the information from several senior citizens who are home bound or bed bound and for some strange reason do like to listen to what is going on in town with the emergency services.

I did some checking with my "deep throat" and was told there is a new 150-foot radio tower now behind fire headquarters. Maybe someone forgot to plug in a repeater system???? Also for the third time in recent history, the software for the computer aided dispatch system is in the process of being upgraded.

In other action in town...the new Fire Chief Robert McGrath has decided to work with the fire union rather than against them and there is more give and take between the union and the chief's office.

There has also been more problems again with the department's aerial ladder. The truck has been in and out of service several times and the chief has to ask Bridgeport Fire Department and Milford Fire Department to "borrow" a ladder truck when there is a structure fire in town.

Milford has their own problems with their aerial and Stratford may get caught short one day. The town needs to spend the money not for a new aerial ladder but for a tower apparatus. The tower makes rescues out windows safer, no one has to be rescued down a ladder in the middle of winter and is a good way to save money and lower firefighters injuries and civilian injuries during rescues.