Thursday
Sep032009
Chertoff Disappointed With Emergency Response Communication
Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 3:57PM
Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff noted Thursday that while many improvements have been made in U.S. emergency response capabilities, more can be done to improve communication between different agencies.
"All of the groups need to make an agreement on the [technological] language used," Chertoff said during a panel discussion at the National Press Club. "We still have a ways to go."
To counter the current shortcomings of inter-agency communication, Chertoff suggested reserving part of the radio spectrum solely for emergency response, thus allowing responders to transmit voice, data, and video more efficiently through portable devices like BlackBerrys and iPhones.
The idea to scrap the system we have now or to wait for equipment to become obsolete is not a viable option, Chertoff warned.
$1 billion has been distributed to states and localities to promote interoperable communications.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff noted Thursday that while many improvements have been made in U.S. emergency response capabilities, more can be done to improve communication between different agencies.
"All of the groups need to make an agreement on the [technological] language used," Chertoff said during a panel discussion at the National Press Club. "We still have a ways to go."
To counter the current shortcomings of inter-agency communication, Chertoff suggested reserving part of the radio spectrum solely for emergency response, thus allowing responders to transmit voice, data, and video more efficiently through portable devices like BlackBerrys and iPhones.
The idea to scrap the system we have now or to wait for equipment to become obsolete is not a viable option, Chertoff warned.
$1 billion has been distributed to states and localities to promote interoperable communications.
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