Secaucus officials want to ensure that first responders can communicate by radio anywhere in town without interference. The Town Council introduced an ordinance at its Oct. 13 meeting establishing policies for emergency responder radio coverage inside buildings.
According to officials, the town’s radio frequency engineer analyzed the frequencies used by the police and fire departments to identify any weakness and address it.
The ordinance stipulates that if a new building is being constructed or is undergoing significant renovation, requirements will ensure that police and firefighters can communicate through their radio frequencies while in the building.
The ordinance mandates that any frequency system installed in a building will not conflict with the town’s system.
The public hearing for the ordinances will take place at the Nov. 10 Town Council meeting at 7 p.m.
National Night Out
Officials at the meeting highlighted that Secaucus was one of the only municipalities in Hudson County to hold a National Night Out.
Normally a county-wide occurrence, this year most events were cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to defund the police. But this was not the case in Secaucus.
The event’s goal was to increase awareness about police programs and build a relationship with the community. This year, the summer event was rescheduled to the first Tuesday in October due to COVID-19.
Police entertained local children in Buchmuller Park on Oct. 6 with a variety of games, including a corn hole tournament, home run derby, and hockey snapshot contest, among other events.
Saving the Koalas
Also at the Oct. 13 council meeting, Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Montesano spoke about a program in conjunction with Mayor Michael Gonnelli aimed at saving koalas from bush fires in Australia.
The initiative, which began pre-COVID-19, sought to raise funds for koalasofnyc.com in support of preserving the endangered species. Montesano quickly agreed to take part in the program after being approached by Gonnelli, who brought koala stuffed animals to each school, to raise awareness.
“Our district is more than happy to do anything to help anyone,” Montesano said.
According to Montesano, the students in the district raised more than $2,000. In total, Gonnelli said the program raised a combined $30,000 from all donors and thanked the school district for their efforts.
Montesano presented the funds to the town council, before speaking on the current state of the school district amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, the town has witnessed multiple virus cases in a number of public schools.
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