HK airport upgrades digital radio system: "The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has last week completed the deployment of its digital radio communication system.

TETRA (TErrestrial Trunked RAdio), the digital radio communication system for Asia's busiest aviation hub, was provided by Motorola, the US-based communications company. Migration of the airport's analogue system to a new digital TETRA system took just seven months."

HK airport upgrades digital radio system - Network World

HK airport upgrades digital radio system: "The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has last week completed the deployment of its digital radio communication system.

TETRA (TErrestrial Trunked RAdio), the digital radio communication system for Asia's busiest aviation hub, was provided by Motorola, the US-based communications company. Migration of the airport's analogue system to a new digital TETRA system took just seven months."

A Message that Washington Needs to Hear — and Heed: "Yesterday at the International Wireless Communications Exposition, keynote speaker Steve Zipperstein, Verizon Wireless‘ vice president of legal affairs and general counsel, outlined a plan for the network that would give the 10 MHz of airwaves in the 700-MHz band, the so-called D Block, to public safety, rather than auction it to commercial operators. The spectrum would be allocated in the form of local, regional and state licenses. This is an interesting about-face. Recall that the wireless carriers, led by their lobbying group, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, were adamantly against giving the D Block to first responders when the notion of this network first was floated three years ago at IWCE by Cyren Call’s Morgan O’Brien."

Interoperable Communications Biggest State Challenge in Homeland Security, says NGA Survey: "The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) today released the results of its fifth annual survey of governor's homeland security advisors. The 2008 survey provides an overview of the homeland security landscape at the state level, both in terms of how states have structured themselves for their homeland security missions and in the issues and challenges that dominate their agendas, and offers a clear assessment of the DHS-state relationship. Among the key findings from the survey:

* More than 75 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with their communication with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a significant increase compared to the 42 percent satisfaction rate reported in 2007
* According to survey respondents, developing interoperable communications is the issue for which states most need federal assistance -- in the form of funding and guidance"

Lawmakers want more interoperability in emergency comms: "“We have spent a fortune on these communications devices,” Rogers said, adding that the efforts have not led to the needed interoperability of state, local and federal communications systems.

“It appears to me that money obviously isn’t going to be the answer, it’s going to be having to force legislatively some coordination on interoperability,” Rogers added. “Otherwise people will continue buying the latest gadget that they personally like, or that somebody can convince them they like, and it’s not going to meet their interoperability needs.”"

Interoperability: Surmounting the Tower of Babel: "One of the enduring findings of the 9/11 report was the fact that first responders on the ground in New York were unable to communicate readily with reach other in the first hours after the crisis. Congress responded by approving funds for an envisioned nationwide emergency communications system, but now lawmakers are wondering if taxpayers will ever get a truly interoperable system to solve the problem.

One of the big topics on Capitol Hill these days, interoperability was the focus of an oversight hearing by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Here's the crux of the hearing, boiled down to this frustrating reality voiced by Kentucky Republican Hal Rogers, ranking member of the subcommittee, who rankles at the one billion dollars appropriated thus far by Congress to improve first responder interoperability: 'Over the last three fiscal years, only 6.4% has been spent. That means there's more than $997 million that could be out on the streets helping our first responders meet their interoperability needs.'"

Wyoming Cleared for Use of Federal Frequencies: "On February 5, 2009, Wyoming’s emergency communications system became the first in the nation to be awarded space on the federal spectrum. The Public Safety Communications Commission (PSCC) has been working closely with the Departments of Interior and Homeland Security to secure this certification from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). This certification represents a shift in policy by the NTIA in allowing frequency use by a state."

Cyren Call No Longer Official Emergency Communications Advisor for PSST: "Cyren Call's role as emergency communications advisor has apparently run aground on the rocks of economic turmoil, a new administration and the 'indefinite hiatus in the regulatory processes toward creation of a nationwide network for public safety.'

The company said Friday it will no longer be the official adviser to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, which was tapped by the FCC to be the licensee of a 10 mhz swatch of spectrum the commission set aside for emergency communications as part of its 700 mhz spectrum auction last year. It was to have been paired with a 10 mhz block of commercial spectrum in a public-private partnership, but nobody bid the minimum price for the commercial block and the FCC is now trying to figure out how to attract a bidder when it re-auctions the spectrum."

Officials eye a geospatial 'Virtual USA': "Federal and state authorities are collaborating on a project that would allow state and local caches of geospatial data to be interoperable and more useful with the goal of creating a 'Virtual USA' for emergency response purposes.

The Homeland Security Department’s Science and Technology Directorate recently sponsored a first meeting where officials from several Southern states discussed their efforts to manage and use geospatial data and how they could share it with each other. Officials say the goal is to make local- and state-owned geospatial data interoperable and usable across jurisdictions, with non-federal authorities maintaining control over the data and deciding what data to share.

The program was inspired by the success that Alabama had in using information gathered at a local level to aid first responders. The recent meeting was hosted by Alabama’s Homeland Security Department, which created Virtual Alabama. That is a system built on Google Earth Enterprise software that allows authorities to create data mashups by quickly pulling together information from an array of sources across the state’s 67 counties and make it available to first responders."

'Public agencies should adopt interoperability': "There is a snowballing chorus across various stake holders in Bangalore city that there should be an effective disaster management programme and it should be backed by robust communication tools and technology."
...
"Detailing how various government agencies should swing into action during a emergency, experts details that public safety agencies must act immediately and coordinate with ambulance service, fire safety department, special task force, and riot and traffic control police. In such an environment quick action is of utmost importance. Present communication system handles only day-to-day operations of individual agencies and not cross-functional requirements."
...
"Technology analysts detail that without good Interoperable communications, state and local agencies cannot communicate as one entity and respond in a coordinated and effective manner to save lives, homes and establishments. “An avalanche of voice communications over different network solutions can simply overwhelm you. If vital organisations like police, fire and other emergency communications systems failed to “talk” together at a moment’s notice when an emergency situation cropped up, the result would be disastrous,” he noted.

Twisted radio beams could untangle the airwaves: "The human race is not only exhausting tangible resources such as oil. The radio frequency spectrum available for wireless communication is becoming the increasingly crowded, with virgin 'veins' of frequency running short. However, Swedish physicists say that twisting radio beams into a helical shape as they are transmitted could help ease the congestion. Radio frequency encompasses electromagnetic waves between 3 kilohertz and 300 gigahertz, and as wireless communications technology advances much of that range is being used."

Georgia Public-Safety Radio Network Years in the Making: "Having interoperable communications during an emergency can be priceless for first responders and the public, but rolling out the network can take years. The Georgia Interoperability Network allows statewide communication for first responders without requiring counties to replace existing radio equipment. By retaining the counties' current radio equipment, the state has achieved widespread buy-in among first responders in Georgia's 159 counties.

The Georgia State Patrol owns the network, which was funded by a multimillion dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program. The state patrol, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) collaborated on the network. Production on the network began two years ago and is expected to be completed December 2009."

Napolitano cites need to help state, local governments: "President-elect Obama's pick to lead the sprawling Homeland Security Department today pledged to forge better relationships with state and local governments, especially when it comes to dealing with the large price tag of some homeland security-related activities.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee during her confirmation hearing that one of the main reasons she was selected to lead the department is because she has experience dealing with homeland security issues at the state and local government level.

'The federal government cannot do the homeland security function alone,' she said. 'That is something that I hope to spend a great deal of effort on.'

She indicated she would seek more funding to help state and local governments buy radios that are interoperable, allowing emergency responders to communicate with each other across jurisdictions and during disasters. She said the lack of funding for interoperable radios, along with the lack of technical expertise within the federal government, has stymied efforts in states like Arizona."

Senate nears deal to delay digital TV transition: "The Senate appeared close to agreement late Thursday on a bill to delay next month's planned transition from analog to digital television broadcasting to June 12 — setting the stage for a vote early next week. Senate Republicans last week blocked Democratic efforts to push back the Feb. 17 deadline for the analog shutoff. The Democrats cited mounting concerns that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals won't be ready."

APCO Asks Obama to Consider National Broadband Network Funding : "In a letter to President-Elect Barack Obama, Chris Fischer, president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, expressed the organization’s support for federal funding for the development of a national public-safety network in the 700 MHz spectrum."

Sprint Nextel Requests $2B for Emergency Network: "Sprint Nextel asked Barack Obama’s transition team to fund a $2 billion emergency network to make first responders better able to communicate during disasters. The company outlined its 5-year plan to Obama's transition team in a letter earlier this month."

Buncefield: Hertfordshire Fire And Rescue Service's Review Of The Fire Response: "Buncefield: Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service's review of the fire response

The Explosion and fire at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot involved 22 tanks. The main fires were extinguished in three days but the overall fire response lasted 26 days and 642 fire appliances were moved to the incident. This report sets out the chronological sequence of events and reviews the fire response. It covers pre-planning and pre-training; the response of the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service; the response by other fire provider and supporting organisations; and presents the learning points of local, national, and international significance, which are drawn both from good practice at the incident and the areas that could have been improved."

[Ed: Correspondents advise that this report details communications issues in depth.]

New York State Said to Be Close to Dropping Police Radio Project: "[New York] State officials are close to canceling a $2 billion contract to build a statewide wireless network for emergency agencies after critical tests on the network failed late last year, according to state officials briefed on the results.

Lawyers for the vendor, M/A-COM, a subsidiary of Tyco Electronics, sent the state a letter on Friday threatening to sue if officials follow through on their plan to shut down the project, which was intended to improve radio communications throughout the state, but particularly in remote areas where police agencies have trouble talking to one another."

FCC's Plans to Boost Public Safety Wireless Interoperability Meets Obstacles: "Current FCC proceedings focus on creating a nationwide public-safety band for wireless communications among first responders. Ryan Hallahan and Jon Peha sum up the opportunities this rulemaking holds in their 2008 paper, Quantifying the Costs of a Nationwide Broadband Public Safety Wireless Network: 'The problems facing the public safety wireless communication systems in the U.S. could be significantly reduced or eliminated through the deployment of a single nationwide network that serves all public safety personnel.' On Sept. 25, 2008, the FCC released a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking after the auction for the proposed public safety band failed to achieve its reserve price. The third notice strives to achieve 'the goal of a nationwide interoperable broadband wireless network for public safety entities.'"

PSST Pushes Emergency Spectrum Use: "The Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) wants President-elect Barrack Obama to make a proposed shared interoperable emergency communications network part of his proposed economic stimulus plan, arguing it could create millions of jobs, upgrade emergency communications, and provide the broadband link to underserved communities nationwide that Obama is seeking."