HAWAI'I KAI — East Honolulu residents will soon have a more reliable 911 link to police, fire and ambulance services, thanks to a new communications tower on Koko Head.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann yesterday inspected the new 70-foot tower, the first to be completed in a $43 million program in which the city will replace or repair half of its 24 communications towers around O'ahu.

"This facility has suffered decades of neglect," Hannemann said. "Interoperability is key for all departments so they can communicate in this world that is post-9/11. Public safety is the main job of the mayor."

The new tower is next to the old tower, a rusted structure that was in need of replacement. Just last month a gust of wind toppled the tower's ladder, which knocked down some wires and blacked out communications for several hours, said Gordon Bruce, director of the city Department of Information Technology.

Pointing to the flakes of rust and the toppled ladder, Hannemann said the condition of the communication system on O'ahu is an example of basic city infrastructure suffering from neglect. The last time the tower had any maintenance work was in 2002, Hannemann said.

Since taking office, Hannemann's administration has identified the Koko Head site and seven others as in need of replacement and four others for repair, out of 24 such towers around the island. The Koko Head site is the first to be completed. Also under construction is a communication site at Pu'u Manawahua on top of Makakilo, and one at Kahuku, Bruce said.

The Koko Head tower and support facility cost $1 million in city money and $3 million in state money. It will serve the area from Hawai'i Kai to Kaimuki. Stainless steel and other weather-resistant materials were used to keep corrosion at bay.

If some towers are disabled, Bruce said, operators can reroute signals to other towers to bypass the problem area. A fiber-optic system provides backup capability in emergencies, he said.

The facility is a key component in the state's $26 million microwave antenna system that will improve emergency communications statewide and prepare Hawai'i to better handle everything from a natural disaster to a terrorist attack and the more common boater in distress.

The system — known as Anuenue, or rainbow — uses broadband technology and antennas erected in strategic locations across the state.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.