Why can emergency response agencies talk?
Inadequate and unreliable wireless communications have plagued emergency response organizations for decades. In many cases, agencies cannot fully perform mission critical duties because they are unable to communicate with other emergency response personnel who are responding to the same incident. These agencies are unable to share vital voice and/or data information via radio with other jurisdictions in day-to-day operations and in emergency response to large-scale incidents including acts of terrorism and natural disasters. While mismatched technology accounts for part of the problem, it is only part of the story. As noted in a report published in February 2003 by the National Task Force on Interoperability, the emergency response community has identified the following as the key issues that hamper emergency response wireless communications today: • Incompatible and aging communications equipment; • Limited and fragmented budget cycles and funding; Limited and fragmented planning and
