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By JENNIFER LEARN jlearn@leader.net
Tuesday, February 01, 2000 Page: 3A
PITTSTON TWP. – Township officials Saturday vowed to find out who filed a
complaint with the Federal Communications Commission that forced the fire
department and other emergency workers off the township’s radio frequency.
Monday, an unlikely party stepped forward: Bryden Street resident Angelo
DeFrancesco, a man who says he is sick and tired of having his favorite movies
on the Arts and Entertainment network interrupted by static and ambulance
chatter.
DeFrancesco said he figured out the conversations were originating in the
township Volunteer Ambulance Association, situated across the street from his
home.
The volunteer fire department demanded Saturday that the board of
supervisors hold an emergency meeting to find out which township official
might have lodged the FCC complaint. But Supervisor Tony Attardo later said
there is no need for such a meeting now that DeFrancesco has come forward.
The FCC recently banned the fire and ambulance departments from using the
frequency because of a complaint filed by “the township,” which holds the
license for the radio channel.
Township ambulance and fire representatives blasted the FCC order, saying
it could jeopardize public safety. Emergency workers say they use the channel
to relay vital information about accidents and fires to each other.
According to the FCC, the township complained that the firefighters were
causing “harmful interference” to the public works department, which also
uses the channel.
But Attardo said Monday that he believes the FCC loosely used “the
township” to refer to DeFrancesco, who is also Attardo’s neighbor. Attardo
could not figure out who complained to the FCC about interference to public
works.
The FCC would not identify the complaintant because the matter is still
under investigation.
Last week, Supervisor John Paglianite said he was unaware of the complaint
and vowed to find out who was trying to undermine his authority.
Another neighbor, Dan Arena, said the ambulance and fire departments don’t
belong in residential neighborhoods.
“I’m trying to watch a movie and have to listen to someone else’s
conversation,” Arena said.
FCC spokesman John Winston said it’s not against the law for emergency
radio frequencies to disrupt television and commercial radio broadcasts,
unless the signal is purposefully amplified to disturb others.
Winston said the FCC receives about 150,000 similar complaints each year.
At least one township employee had a hand in the complaint, but Attardo
said he and Supervisor Joseph Adams weren’t aware of it until this week.
According to Attardo, township Emergency Management Agency Director Bill
Alaimo investigated DeFrancesco’s gripe. Alaimo could not locate proof showing
that the fire department had permission to use the township’s frequency,
Attardo said. He added that Alaimo also contacted the FCC to check if
emergency services can use the frequency without authority.
Alaimo could not be reached for comment.
The dispute continues a long-running battle between Attardo and the
township emergency services. Attardo said the fire department owes him an
apology for falsely accusing him – publicly – of filing the complaint.
“If this isn’t a direct course of harassment, we don’t know what is,”
Attardo said.
Attardo said he and Adams are willing to allow the fire department and
ambulance to use the disputed frequency as long as they understand that the
public works department gets top priority.
Call Learn at 831-7333.