The Woodlands Township plans to begin building seven new communication towers before the end of June to improve communication during disasters, township officials announced last week. The new stations will be located at The Woodlands Fire Department stations.

Acting fire Chief Doug Adams touched on the towers when he spoke at the June 20 board of directors meeting.

“Once they’re installed, we’ll be able to shift all of our data. ... We’ll have the ability to back up our radio system via microwave,” Adams said.

The towers are meant to provide a communication link not affected by power outages. The township currently has a communications tower at its central fire station on Grogans Mill Road.

“I thought it was important to share there has been enhanced targeting of our communications systems underway and that you are implanting that. It is, to me, part of our emergency preparedness plan,” board of directors Chairman Gordy Bunch said at the meeting. “It’s an investment the fire department asked for and [one] we supported.”

The towers will range from 115 to 150 feet in height, according to a township news release. The projected construction time for each tower is 45 days, officials said. Adams said the cost of construction is $1.5 million.

In other business at the June 20 meeting, recently retired fire Chief Alan Benson was recognized for his 14 years of service to The Woodlands Fire Department.