Smithtown receives $200G to upgrade emergency command center

The Town of Smithtown received a $200,000 federal grant to upgrade technology at its emergency operations center, replacing antiquated technology, officials said. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is providing the grant as part of a program to bolster emergency centers on the state and local level.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said the town had been looking to upgrade its emergency operations facility on Maple Drive for the past year. The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The focus will be on upgrading outdated equipment — including radios and video technology — to better communicate with police and fire agencies.

The town plans to purchase new terminals for dispatchers, radios and technology for a video wall to display footage from feeds at town facilities, officials said. Smithtown will also purchase newer backup power systems that will kick in during outages.

Thomas Lohmann, the town’s public safety director, said the operations center has radio and computer systems that became outdated over time and are “in desperate need of repair and upgrade.”

“It was time to get them upgraded so we could better serve the town residents and work up to our capabilities with our partner agencies in emergency management response,” Lohmann said.

"Some of the systems are aged,” Wehrheim said. He added that officials want to make sure the center’s equipment “is up to today’s standards so we can operate in the event of an emergency.”

The town’s public safety department operates the center and runs preparation drills with fire and police departments and other agencies.

Those working for the center include park rangers and attendants, harbor masters, fire marshals and investigative staff totaling about 80 to 90 employees, officials said.

Lohmann cited the Aug. 18-19 storm that devastated parts of the North Shore of Suffolk County, including Smithtown. Lohmann said the storm caused electrical issues and minor fires and flooding in various parts of the town, requiring park rangers to make rescues. After the storm, staff had to assist residents stuck in their homes while assessing town areas that suffered “substantial damages,” Lohmann said.

In such storms, Lohmann said, working technology is key.

“Equipment is never cheap, and we run a pretty lean budget here so there is not always a lot of room to improve things throughout the year; so having this assistance is tremendous for us,” Lohmann said.