The Boston Fire Department lost its communications system in a March blackout that left Downtown in the dark for days, raising new questions about the city's vulnerability during power outages, officials said today.
"The transmitters went down," Boston Fire Marshal Bart Shea said at a City Hall Hearing today. "They lost the ability to transmit fire alarms."
Shea said firefighters in the area of the Back Bay blackout had to use handheld radios to send messages back and forth as their normal communication system failed.
"It did impede something we consider vital," City Council President Stephen Murphy said. "That's something that needs to be fixed right away."
The revelation was made as city councilors grilled NStar [NST] officials about the blackout and what its doing to prevent future catastrophes.
NStar vice president Craig Hollstrom called the Scotia Street substation that failed in the March incident and again last week "very reliable." Hollstrom said the substation has run "flawlessly" for 22 years and that the utility is confident in its operations.
Copyright 2012 - Boston Herald
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
