By Meghan V. Malloy
The Kennebec Journal
AUGUSTA, Maine — City councilors will discuss emergency communications between Augusta and Hallowell tonight in the wake of complaints made about Augusta's digital communication system.
Augusta Assistant City Manager Ralph St. Pierre confirmed he was meeting with Hallowell interim city manager Todd Shea Wednesday afternoon. He said the points discussed at the meeting would be part of tonight's City Council discussion.
Augusta dispatches for Hallowell's police and fire departments. Hallowell Fire Chief Michael Grant said that during a structure fire in Hallowell last week, the radios between dispatchers and firefighters failed after the tone was sent out.
"There was a point where we didn't know where we were supposed to be going," Grant said this week.
The incident was cited in a Nov. 15 letter from the Augusta firefighters' union to Augusta Fire Chief Roger Audette and City Manager William Bridgeo.
Also cited in the letter were two other instances, in November, of disruptions in the digital communication system. The letter called the three alleged incidents "unacceptable."
Grant said this week his department has made "no official complaints, but it's a known issue and will be an issue until it's fixed."
The problem is compounded for mutual aid agencies who use analog radio frequencies that can't communicate with Augusta's digital system.
Late last month, Kennebec County Sheriff Randall Liberty asked Augusta officials to program their frequencies into three digital portable radios owned by the Sheriff's Office. The radios were purchased with federal grant money with the intent it would "enhance and improve our interoperability," Liberty said.
Augusta declined the request in a Nov. 3 letter to Liberty. Bridgeo said Augusta Fire Chief Roger Audette and Police Chief Wayne McCamish felt "authorizing outside agencies to transmit on our frequencies could lead to impairment to our system's capacity."
The Augusta officials said they were concerned that the additional radio traffic could disrupt the system.
Meanwhile, "I cannot hear Augusta at all," Liberty said.
"We can't hear a thing they're doing. I have nine sworn deputies in this office who could give mutual aid to Augusta," he said, "but since we can't hear them, we wouldn't be able to help them."
Bridgeo's letter suggests the use of statewide tactical channels to "ensure safe and reliable communication between (the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office) and (the Augusta Police Department)."
Liberty said such a protocol wouldn't work.
"Suddenly, you could have 30 agencies on a frequency at once. Talk about a jam," he said.
"I'm not judging, I'm not pointing fingers. But we were given this grant money to improve our abilities to communicate, and I don't think we're going in the right direction."
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