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Newark fire alarms upgraded
Norm VanDemortel, Village Trustee and the Newark Fire Commissioner, advises that the telegraph system was installed around the turn of the century. The system, over the years, has grown to approximately 70 boxes, with many miles of overhead wires. The wire system has not been maintained in the past several years and it was decided to eliminate the maintenence and take advantage of new technology by replacing the wired system with a Radio System. The advantages of radio are faster transmission, less likelihood of lightning damage, the ability to be coded (which could identify a closer location of a fire in larger structures), and not being dependent of overhead wires or telephone cables (which could be downed by the weather), and the need to constantly trim tree limbs from the wires will be eliminated. Dick Colacino, Public Information Officer for the Fire Dept., advises that property owners that utilize the Municipal system were advised by letter in April 1997 that the Village had decided to eliminate the existing Gamewell wired system and install a radio receiver to accomodate any industrial, commercial, institutional facility that wished to transmit a fire alarm signal directly to the Newark Fire Dept. Existing users were given until April 18, 2000 to remove the existing telegraph equipment and install a radio transmitter, or utilize some other method approved by local authorities. According to VanDemortel, fewer boxes are required today, since most structures are equipped with telephones, and so many residents utilize cell phones. The Village Board is trying to balance the number of boxes, weighing necessity and cost! His goal would be to install a few more boxes in the East, West, and North ends of the Village. The Southern section of the Village was the first to receive the new radio boxes since that area had the longest runs of deteriorated cable. Other users (in all sections of the Village) that have had radio transmitters installed inclkude IEC Electronics, Schlegel Systems, Ultralife Batteries, Newark Senior Citizen High Rise, ViaHealth Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Newark Manor Nursing Home, Colacino Electric Supply, Fold-Pak Corp., and the Alex Eligh Community Center. According to officials, the new radio system will summon the Fire Dept. within three seconds - a fire alarm signal received at a building fire panel, the Fire Dept. coded air horn atop the fire station is sounded, and 60 Fire Dept. pagers are automatically activated. Commissioner VanDermortel stresses that as time permits, Village DPW workers will be removing the bagged boxes. All boxes have been disconnected from the Fire Dept. It has been reported that the Newark Schools will be reconnected via radio technology in the near future, as well as the Newark Library, Waste Water Dept. on Murray St., and the DPW Garage on Wood Lane. Any resident or property owner in Newark or the Town of Arcadia with questions or requirements for connection may call Fire Chief Colasurdo. The Fire Dept. non-emergency phone number is 331.1451.
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Newark Fire and Village Officials have received many inquires concerning the black-bagged fire alarm pull boxes located throughout the Village. Newark Fire Chief Joe Colasurdo wants the public to know that pull boxes are not being abandoned. The existing telegraph boxes are to be removed, some will be eliminated, and new radio transmitting boxes will be installed in key areas of the Village.