SOMERS — Selectmen backed a $151,672 request to replace aging Fire Department radios on September 24, according to Jay Kenney’s September 25 Patch report.
Fire Chief John Stovall told the board that most portable radios were more than 17 years old. He described a battery failure while a Somers firefighter was inside a building during mutual aid in Ellington; another firefighter made the needed transmission, and nobody was injured, Patch reported.
The plan includes 40 portable radios, five tri-band portable units for chief officers, four tri-band vehicle radios, three additional vehicle radios and supporting equipment. Stovall said an unsuccessful joint federal grant effort involved Tolland and Bolton.
Patch reported that the selectmen’s vote advanced capital planning, with the proposed fiscal 2028 budget identified as the funding route unless another source emerged. It was not an authorization to buy immediately.
This report describes the September proposal. Subsequent funding, purchasing or delivery has not been verified; original town minutes or the complete meeting recording were not obtained in this review.