The Town of Warren could some time soon be the new host of a 120-foot communications tower used to broadcast emergency messages between first responders all throughout the region.

Marc Pappas, Director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), presented the plans to the Warren Town Council during their meeting last Tuesday evening.

“Warren is an important site and there is some communication gaps, which leads us to request putting up a communication support tower,” he told the council. It would be one of six such critical towers to support what RIEMA calls the East Zone. “This communication site would fill in gaps in coverage that you have here and in all the surrounding communities around here.”

Pappas said that as many as 16,000-plus users would rely on the system, which would be located at 47 Ridgeway Dr., would be available exclusively to emergency personnel and first responders, such as the state police, state government departments, municipal fire and police forces, military, and humanitarian response groups like The Red Cross. The tower would not be used for interpersonal communications for regular cell phone services.

Pappas said that he had already spoken to Chief Kevin Lynch of the Bristol Police Department, who gave his positive support for the project. The construction and operation of the tower would come at no cost to the Town or surrounding communities.

The Council had no issues with the plan presented, although they said it would be something that the Town zoning department would need to approve.

Councilman Joe DePasquale, however, did have a thoughtful inquiry regarding whether or not the Town could relocate the emergency communications devices currently located on the tower that sits behind Town Hall to the new tower when it was constructed.

“I’d love to get rid of this tower that’s uptown,” he said. “Could you look into that? … It’s older, it’s here and it’s an eyesore.”

Pappas said that not only did he have no objection into looking into possibly moving the equipment — although it would need to be ascertained what equipment is up there, and who owns and operates it — he said that if there were no unforeseen complications, RIEMA would be happy to take the tower down for the Town as well.