The potential for confusion, Milford Fire Department officials said Friday.

Chief Louis LaVecchia and Fire Marshal Lee S. Cooke oppose a plan to assign honorary names to some Devon streets, saying they are concerned that having two names for the same street could cause delays in getting to an exact location in an emergency.

"Our computer-aided dispatching system is only as good as the information you put into it, and if someone references a ceremonial name the computer may not recognize it," Cooke said. "Not all of our dispatchers are from the area."

Alderman Joseph Garbus, R-3, proposed officially renaming Bridgeport Avenue "Devon Drive" and calling Naugatuck Avenue "Walnut Beach Way" earlier this year, but that suggestion was strongly opposed by businesses in the area.

Garbus and Robert Gregory, the city's economic development director, then sought the designations for ceremonial purposes only.

The Planning and Zoning Board, which has the authority to rename streets, held a public hearing on the matter this week.

PZB Chairman Jack Jansen said the board invited Garbus and other officials to submit more information on how the name changes would work.

Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. said LaVecchia personally conveyed the Fire Department's concerns to him, but he added that he still believes something can be done to satisfy everyone.

"At one time the names 'Bridgeport Avenue' and 'Naugatuck Avenue' had a purpose; to direct people," Richetelli said. "Now the issue is more one of community identity. "The honorary names are symbolic of the ongoing Devon revitalization," he said.

Cooke agreed with the mayor that the firefighters based at the West Shore Fire Station know the area and would recognize the honorary names.

"The problem would be more with cell phones, where we don't get exact information and we need a cross street or another reference point," he said. "But we are more than willing to sit down and try to work something out."

Gregory said the ceremonial signs could be made to look very different than the official street-name signs. Other cities, notably New York, have given honorary designations to some streets without causing confusion, he said.

Frank Juliano, Milford bureau chief, can be reached at 878-2130.