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Avon approves plan for townwide P25 public-safety radio system; portable radios to be distributed starting in December
Summary
The Avon Town Council heard a public safety communications update that showed the new P25 digital system will provide interoperability with state and regional agencies, generator-backed equipment sites and 99.2% tested coverage; the department plans phased portables distribution beginning Dec. 1 and encryption of primary police channels.
Chief Paul Melanson, Avon’s Police Chief, briefed the Town Council on the Town and Public Safety Communications System replacement project and coverage testing. He said the town’s new P25 digital system is integrated into the State of Connecticut’s Land Mobile Radio Network and that “we will have 99.2% coverage; the guarantee was 95%.” Melanson described redundancy at each site—generator-backed equipment buildings and dual fiber routes—intended to keep the system operational even if a site loses commercial power.
Melanson explained phased deployment for radios and consoles: “portable radios will be distributed to police, then fire, then DPW starting around December 1st, followed by mobile radios.” He told the council the schools’ DMR system has been connected to the police dispatch control panel and that an emergency channel will be monitored by Dispatch; older portable radios are being repurposed for school use where appropriate. He added the police department’s primary frequency will be encrypted to reduce opportunistic eavesdropping and protect officer safety.
Why it matters: the upgrade moves Avon from an analog system to a statewide-compatible digital network and aims to improve interoperability with state police and neighboring towns during multi-jurisdiction incidents. The system will allow dispatch to patch channels and connect to state frequencies if necessary. Next steps identified by staff include programming and installation of mobile and portable radios and continued integration testing with expected project completion in early 2026. Council members thanked staff and former Council member Jim Speich for long-term work on the project; no formal Council action on the systems budget was taken at this meeting.
