Procrastination: Shelton's Middle Name

If someone were to compose a list of all the things Shelton is good for, procrastination would surely be near the top of that list.  There a laundry list of things Shelton has put off, and put off and put off until they just could not be put off any longer.  Repairs to the town’s roads and building a new animal shelter are amongst the issues that immediately come to mind. 

Another thing Shelton has been procrastinating on: upgrading the town’s emergency communications systems. 

The emergency communications systems in use in Shelton are outdated and well past their “expiration” date.  According to the chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, their system only works about half of the time and has failed during several emergency situations where it was imperative to get information out to responders.  Over at the police station, their dispatch console has been in use since 1989 and while it has been upgraded over the years, it cannot handle new radio systems because of just how old it is. 

That’s not exactly surprising given how much technology has changed in the 21 years since it was purchased.  So why exactly is this same equipment being used today? 

With the way Shelton likes to procrastinate on anything and everything that might cost the town a penny, no matter the importance, it shouldn’t be surprising that the town has been left with faulty, outdated equipment for such a lengthy amount of time.   But this procrastination has moved on from cost-cutting territory into downright recklessness by those who allowed outdated systems to continue to be used. 

It is commendable that these systems are finally being upgraded, but it is appalling they were left in such poor operating condition for so long.  These are not toys that emergency services like to play with while they’re bored.  They are essential systems for providing emergency services to people in Shelton and, in some cases, the surrounding towns, as well as providing communications to emergency responders. 

It is inexcusable that the emergency communication systems in Shelton were left as-is for so long, especially those that fail about as often as they work.  There is only so long an outdated system will work properly or be able to handle upgrades before they need to be replaced.  Shelton’s communication systems have long passed this point, and should have been replaced several years ago when they first started to become outdated.  But this is Shelton, where procrastination is clearly beamed down upon.