COLIN MCEVOY
The Express-Times

EASTON - The city fire chief and head of the department's union voiced differing opinions Wednesday as to the safety of the Easton Fire Department's procedures with the county 911 dispatch.

Union President Terrance Hand said requirements to share dispatch frequencies with other local squads and constantly switching frequencies even while fighting a fire are potentially endangering firefighters.

"Our job is already dangerous, and the issues that we have now make our job even more dangerous," Hand told city council during its Wednesday meeting.

But fire Chief John Bast said he does not believe the communications are dangerous or overly complicated, and that many fire companies across the country operate under the same procedures.

Hand said he was seeking a meeting with fire officials and the 911 center to address the concerns and improve policies and procedures.

Councilman Jeff Warren, head of the public works committee, said he would attempt to arrange such a meeting.

Phone messages to Emergency Management Director Bob Mateff and Ronald Hulsizer, operations and training manager for 911, were not returned Wednesday.

Hand said most of the problems arose from operational changes at the dispatch one year ago that required the department to share frequencies. Prior to that, the department worked on its own channel, he said.

The change resulted in an increased amount of radio traffic and confusing frequency switches, Hand said.

He described one instance during a fire when an officer requested the water to be turned on, only to be told they had to switch frequencies.

Bast said switching frequencies while wearing fire equipment can be cumbersome but the radios and pagers are designed to make the switch easier.

The chief also said Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibit an individual fire company from having its own frequency if the company does not use enough bandwidth.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said he believes Bast has properly addressed all concerns with the 911 center as they arose in the past year.

Panto also questioned why none of the other roughly 40 emergency management departments that use that same dispatch service has raised the concerns Hand did.

Hand has also contacted Northampton County about the matter, but Northampton County Administration Director John Conklin said it is not uncommon for multiple fire departments to be assigned the same 911 channel.

Conklin, who was not at Wednesday's meeting, said Bast had previously indicated to him the fire department administration does not have a problem with any of the issues raised by Hand.

"My understanding is there is some tension between the union and management in the fire department in Easton," Conklin said. "I'll leave it at that."

The fire union received a four-year contract in April after months of talks and expensive arbitration.

Colin McEvoy can be reached at 610-258-7171 or cmcevoy@express-times.com Talk about issues in your town at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

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June 10, 2010