FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 14, 2017

Contact: Jane Lerner, Director of Strategic Communications
Office of the County Executive (845) 638-5645

Rockland County Breaks Ground on Backup Radio Communications Room

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County Executive Ed Day today joined Sheriff Louis Falco and members of the Rockland County Legislature to break ground on a construction project for a new backup radio communication room.

"This project that will make every single person in Rockland County safer, including all of our first responders," the County Executive said. "It will be a crucial component of our public safety system."

He was at the construction site with Sheriff Falco, Legislative Chairman Toney Earl and Legislators Doug Jobson, Harriet Cornell, Aney Paul, Aron Wieder and Phil Soskin.

The 3,500 square foot, $3 million center is being built behind the Sheriff's Department headquarters in New City.

The backup radio communications room will be capable of doing everything that the county's primary radio room at the Fire Training Center in Pomona can do.

That includes dispatching 911 calls, fire calls, calls for the state police, calls for EMS, and maintaining the entire infrastructure of the Rockland County Public Safety Emergency Radio system.

The Indian Point emergency siren system can also be managed from the backup location.

"This backup radio room means that even if something happens – a natural or manmade disaster – that knocks the primary radio room out of service we can still function," the County Executive said. "This backup room will let every first responder, every person involved in public safety in Rockland County sleep better at night knowing that we are covered no matter what."

The project has been years in the making. Day spoke in favor of the project when he was a member of the County Legislature.

He noted that Gordon Wren, director of the Rockland County Office of Fire and Emergency Services and Adam Feuer, chief of the Communications Division of the Sheriff's Department, have been developing the project for more than 20 years.

"I am thankful that we were able to work together with my office, the Office of Fire and Emergency Services, the Sheriff's Department, the Legislature and our Facilities Department to make this project a reality," Day said.

Construction is due to be completed in the spring.

(photo: Legislative Chairman Toney Earl, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Sheriff Louis Falco, Chief of Communications Adam Feuer)