Every second counts when it comes to emergency communications for the police and fire departments.

An ongoing project to improve the town’s existing emergency communications systems will increase the safety of those departments and the town’s residents, according to Selectman John Sherman.

Last year, Plaistow and Atkinson (N.H.) received a $133,000 matching grant to improve existing communication towers and systems, according to police Lt. William Baldwin.

That work includes improvements to the repeater equipment and generators at the main dispatch center at the police station on Elm Street and a tower on Route 108, as well as improvements to the repeater equipment and generator at a tower in Atkinson on High Hill Road.

“We hope to have them both up and running by June 30,” said Baldwin.

The improvements should lead to dramatic improvements in coverage, according to the lieutenant.

The completion of the current emergency communication upgrades won’t be the end of the work in Plaistow, however.

A third phase of the project calls for upgrades to a communication tower in Kingston. Baldwin said there is no timeline or funding in place yet for that phase.

Baldwin and Town Manager Sean Fitzgerald said the town might also look at future improvements to increase signals in the northern end of town.

“There are significant challenges on North Main Street,” said Fitzgerald. “Last year, the fire and highway departments both had issues with communication with their handheld radio sets.”

Once the current upgrades are completed, Fitzgerald said there will be an update on the actual improvements to the signals and what the next steps for the town might be.

“This is a worthwhile thing to do,” said Sherman. “We are talking about the safety of our departments and the safety of our citizens.”