A 45-foot cell tower going up at a Southern California fire station that could help first responders save lives has some residents fuming.
The one at Los Angeles County Fire Station 23 is one of 177 such towers being fast-tracked for fire and sheriff's stations around the county, much to the dismay of homeowners who say they have been blindsided.
"It is ugly," said Willie Thomas, adding it went up almost overnight with little warning. "I didn't know what it was."
Cathy Nichols, a Rolling Hills resident, said when residents tried to object she said officials told them they couldn't say anything or do anything.
The towers are part of a new communications system to link the 81 different police and fire agencies in LA County so they can talk to each other in a major disaster. Those 81 agencies operate on 40 different radio systems, officials said.
Patrick Mallon, the director of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System, said that when finished, the towers will offer dedicated phone and data service to agencies throughout the county.
But federal funding for the program runs out in September, which was why approval was granted by the state legislature for the program to circumvent the California Environmental Quality Act as well as standard public hearings and review.
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This has infuriated not just nearby homeowners but the county's firefighters union, are worried about health concerns from radiation exposure, said Lewis Currier, of the LA County Firefighters Association Local 1014.
The matter goes to the board of supervisors Tuesday.
The union plans on a big turnout.
