Interoperable Responder Communications Communications interoperability can be defined as the aptitude of emergency response bureaus to converse across jurisdictions and disciplines through radio communication systems, exchange voice and data amongst themselves upon demand whenever authorized. Interoperable communications enables first responders, leadership, and public safety agencies to effectively communicate and operate in the event of emergency situations such as the 9/11 events and the Gulf Coast Hurricane 2005 season. Interoperability generally refers to the flawless functionalities between emergency responders while using various communication products and systems. For instance, wireless communication interoperability specifically …show more content…
In the face of the present responsibility demands, it has become increasingly challenging to make future catastrophe plans and develop operational plans to harmonize with neighboring agencies. Nonetheless, the inherent need for proper planning and coordination was twelve years later driven home on 13th January in 1982 in Washington D.C. when a passenger jet from Air Florida crashed on the 14th Bridge Street. The tragic crash muted one of the Washington D.C.’s busiest streets in the locality. Much still, thirty minutes following the jet crash, another incident involving a Washington Metro Subway train overturned, closing the burrow line that ran from the District of Columbia to the State of Virginia (Frost & Sullivan, …show more content…
Accordingly, in the wake of 2005 summer, hurricanes catastrophe caused great distraction and damages along the U.S. Gulf Coast and again the subject of inter-agency interoperability in communications was pointed out as operational disadvantage for the first responder agencies. Approximately fifty thousand local first responder agencies, across the U.S., are generally responsible for all emergency services. By virtue of the fact that each agency is left to make independent decisions with regards to their respective local communications systems, the common objective of interoperability remains unachieved. The U.S. current House of Representatives approximates that more than seventy percent of public safety communications equipments are still analog, outdated and extremely incompatible with neighboring local jurisdictions’ communications systems (Frost & Sullivan,
Waugh, William L, and Gregory Streib. "Collaboration and Leadership for Effective Emergency Management." Public Administration Review, 66.6 (2006): 131-140.
Homeland Security. (2008, 12). National Incident Management System. Retrieved 10 22, 2011, from FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf
A strategic alliance with Dell has allowed ARC to implement a digital operations center for humanitarian relief in 2011 (ARC, n.d.). Social media (Facebook and Twitter) and smartphone applications have also been added to the organization’s communication arsenal as social media (Facebook and Twitter) and smartphone applications communication tools for advance storm tracking, crisis area developments and real time communications between ground crews and decision making management personnel (Zolkos, 2012).
... be fostered. Nevertheless, current coordination is not bad as the MTA is the overall umbrella agency that has coordinated diverse emergency response organizations in the city of New York. For instance, during the time of the blackout, diverse stakeholders shared information although communication systems were weak. The impact of the blackout on the transportation sector and health of New York City was severe and key lessons can be learnt. Learning from past experience such as the blackout in 2003 has been attested by Volpe (2004) who indicates that experience would help improve future emergency response. This can also help design effective emergency policies and plans. Personnel had previously become familiar with each other through day-to-day operations and joint terrorism exercises. However, further research is recommended to expound more on this issue in detail.
Fusion centers all across the country has set the bar by establishing and executing their mission relating to information sharing. System innovations can be utilized by linking state and local law enforcement, homeland security, and public safety entities to each other and the federal government (The Police Chief Rethinking the Purpose of Fusion Center. (2014).This will create a unified command present and most importantly, information will be received at the same time which will effect a quick response to terrorist activity.
Failure to properly plan and interoperability between cities and local authorities be came on of the biggest downfalls of Hurricane Katrina. The communication was practically not exist and between those needing help and those able to provide said help. Those who had form of communication were stuck on switchboards and didn’t know if they desperate calls would be answered. The authorities did not have reliable commination or methods of helping the community members in need. A massive issue that is still relevant to our government system and played tremendous role in the time that elapsed before relief was given boils down the “he said she said” bureaucratic tendencies. Each agency and personal was claiming that the other was not providing the details or information required to for that level to assist the other. FEMA claimed at one point during the aftermath of Katrina that Louisiana was acting for some form of assistance but was provided details for what type of help was required or specific items that where needed. Member of the disaster relief efforts in Louisiana provided a 48-page document as proof the public that they had been asked in detail for help but that help never came (Th...
Hurricanes, floods, fires and other emergency circumstances can be stressful for a lot of people, but they present additional hurdles for those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. In the United States, there is an estimated 36 million adults who report some degree of hearing loss and 2-3 of every 1,000 children is Hard of Hearing or Deaf (National Institute). When an emergency situation arises, all too often these populations of people are the last to find out because it is not accessible to them; having up-to-date information is crucial when it comes to all different emergency situation. With advancing technology, there is hope that receiving information about emergencies will become easier for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Communities must come together in order to be aware of the steps that must be taken to reduce or prevent risk. “The guidance, programs, processes, and systems that support each component of the National Preparedness System enable a collaborative, whole community approach to national preparedness that engages individuals, families, communities, private and nonprofit sectors, faith based organizations and all levels of government.” (FEMA, 2011). Resources within a community are prioritized and customized based on community-based issues and local security programs. The resources used as the front line of defense are first responders, such as police officers, firefighters and medical personnel. The resources are provided and prioritized based on the priority of threat and risks to a specific community. Therefore, the threats and risks targeted towards a community must be analyzed and acknowledged in order to apply the correct resources to the opposing prioritized threats. Disasters and emergencies typically begin at the local level and eventually require resources from state and federal
Training should include actual or mock responses by state and federal agencies if the scenario would call for support and mutual aid. The incident command system must be utilized in training and all responders should be familiar with the concepts. ICS is a standardized and flexible management system making it ideal for any incident especially those requiring multi-jurisdictional agency responders to work together (Department of Homeland Security, 2008). The standardization of terms, procedures and command system of ICS dictates that responders are supervised by one supervisor in the chain of command and are delivered specific instructions from one source. All emergency responders nationally should be fully trained and proficient in its application. Agencies from different jurisdictions should have the ability to work together within its guidelines. The flexibility of ICS allows for its use in any incident type or size and it can be expanded or contracted if the incident becomes larger or smaller than
According to the 911 Commission, fire departments from New York, Port Authority Police and Mayor’s Office responded swiftly. However, some mishaps in technology hurt the whole rescue mission. For instance, the fire fighters’ “radio system failed frequently that morning” thus failure to get information promptly (Dwyer, Flynn, and Fessenden para. 3). The 911 Commission explains that although the radio calls were of high frequency, they were locally connected and had low wattage leading to command transfer failures (281-283). Hamilton points out that the internet might have played a great role in the September 11 attacks (2).
NIMS provides a uniform nationwide basis and way for federal, state, tribal, and local governments, along with the public to work on preparedness, recovery, response and mitigation no matter what causes an event. With all organizations using the same application, effective and efficient responses are possible. Organizations will be able to arrive on the scene and be ready to assist and understand exactly what each group is doing and why. Protocols are set and it is known what equipment and personnel are available. With NIMS all groups are able to integrate und...
Barrett, Danelle. Plan Communications for Relief Operations. “U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings”; Jan2011, Vol. 137 Issue 1, p75-77, 3p.
391). Teamwork is very crucial in law enforcement no matter what assignment or division an officer is assigned to. During times of crisis such as natural disasters or man-made, police officers must rely on teamwork and good communication skills in order to respond efficiently and effectively. Humes Jr. (2011) states, “Good communication skills can diffuse violent altercations before they explode, get people to do what you want them to, and help to create a positive relationship” (para. 9). The great efforts between local and federal law enforcement agencies during Hurricane Ike, demonstrated exceptional team work and clear channels of communication. When Hurricane Ike made landfall in Houston, Texas on September 13, 2008, the Houston Police Department (HPD) did not patrol the streets, organized rescue missions and provide assistance alone. HPD teamed up with county, state, and federal agencies in order to perform their duties efficiently and effectively. Communication and teamwork is always going to be part of our lives; therefore, it is imperative to be able to communicate effectively, and work cooperatively in order to be successful in whatever we
Stephens, K. (2010), How can the emergency management community use technology to improve resilience?. Retrieved from http://idisaster.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/how-can-we-use-technology-to-improve-community-resilience/
Formal communication is the backbone of the organization from the Regional Control Center were 999 calls are received and relayed to the firefighters on the ground, the Health and Safety Department, the Policy Unit, Human Resource Department or the Service Training School were students are trained.