What is two way radio interoperability? That’s a frequently asked question. Let’s unmuddy the waters . . . in layman’s terms.
In the broadest sense, radio interoperability means that public safety workers can effectively communicate within various jurisdictions, disciplines, and government agencies, on multiple types of wireless equipment and across frequencies, when needed and when authorized. “I thought they could already do that,” you say.
Well, as a result of such horrific incidences as the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine shootings, and the 9/11 tragedy, a lot more first responders can do that now versus just a few years ago. For example, during the recent past, the inability of the police department to coordinate with the fire department in the most critical of situations made it evident that change was necessary. Still, there are cases where public safety officials, because of the lack of radio interoperability, still cannot effectively communicate with other agencies.
When emergency communications systems—such as those used by police, fire, and EMT staff—are being upgraded, the first priority should be to make sure that changes include radio interoperability at the local and regional levels—and ultimately at the state and federal levels. And all wireless communications devices need to be able to access information from a large and diverse network without the loss of time.
What happens when radio interoperability hasn’t been considered? Remember watching the second tower of the World Trade Center collapse in New York City on 9/11? The NYC police received the radio message that “collapse” was imminent. But firefighters never got that message. Why? Because they used different radio frequencies than the police. And in the immediate aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, first responders had to employ “runners” to convey messages from one command center to another, thereby wasting precious minutes. So as you can see, the lack of radio interoperability can be disastrous.
As with most wireless communications technology improvements, there is a cost to transition from standalone radio systems to radio interoperability, and at most government agencies, everyone is battling over the same scarce budget dollars. However, the general public demands security and expects emergencies to be handled in the fastest possible manner. Therefore, it’s important that public safety workers be able to talk with one another at all levels, at any time, so that the impact of disasters can be minimized and more lives can be saved. There can be no more important investment than that.
For more information about radio interoperability, call one of BearCom’s 28 branches across the U.S., visit the BearCom Web site, or contact me at Wireless.Woman@BearCom.com.
