City public safety officials and Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday showed off a new “silent” alarm system that alerts only the fire and EMS stations that are being dispatched to the call, rather than blasting the call on a radio for every station and first responder on duty to hear.
The $2.8 million, decade-in-the-making alarm system will cut down first responders’ stress levels and streamline services, officials said.
“Most of the people in the bureau would tell you [listening to radio calls] is part of the job, that’s just what we do, it doesn’t affect me,” said the city’s Bureau of Fire Lt. Dan Doyle at Firehouse 37 in Manchester. “... Your body reacts to it, even though you’re not going to be the one going out on that call, you kind of jump real quick to make sure you can go about your business. Twenty, thirty, forty years of that really packs a punch.”