SAN ANTONIO — Firefighters are demanding a new dispatch system after communication was cut off for nearly three hours on Tuesday night.
Chris Steele, president of the San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters' Association, stressed at a press conference on Wednesday that first responders need to communicate with each other when every second counts.
"Now police officers can't talk to each other," he said. "That's a danger."
San Antonio Fire Department spokeswoman Deborah Foster said overheating caused the system to crash for nearly three hours on Tuesday night. Despite the interruption, Foster assured that emergency responders were still able to communicate via hand-held radio and cell phones.
Officials with the San Antonio Police Department also said there was no serious threat, saying there was just a five to six minute window that directly affected them Tuesday night.
Steele said there's no excuse for a faulty dispatch system.
"We need this straightened up or some heads need to roll," Steele said.
Steele said he wants the mayor and the city to investigate the issue. He said they will hopefully see that the city desperately needs a new dispatch system.
