The town of north smithfield is requesting funding for maintenance of the historic mowry communications tower

The Town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island received a $140,000 project grant award from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Congressionally Recommended Awards program (CFDA 16.753) to maintain the historic Mowry Communications Tower. The tower supports Rhode Island's public safety radio system and provides emergency response communications capabilities. Funding will support repairs to the 65-foot tower, which houses critical antennae and repeaters, and its on-site equipment cabin that has fallen into disrepair. The Mowry Tower is one of three remaining forest fire towers in the state and listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. The grant will allow the town to preserve the tower's role in maintaining emergency communications networks throughout Rhode Island.

The mowry tower repair and maintenance are crucial to emergency communication throughout rhode island. The mowry tower's communication functionality provides emergency response providers and government officials communications in event of natural and man-made disasters. The mowry antennae structure supports the rhode island state communications system (riscon) radio system that provides public safety live audio communications hosting live audio broadcasts of police, fire, EMS, railroad, and aircraft communications. The tower holds heavily relied-upon antennae and repeaters. Atop the tower is an equipment cabin that has fallen in disrepair. The 65-foot mowry tower is in the national historic lookout register and is one of three remaining forest fire towers in rhode island.