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Interoperability |
What is interoperability? –
It is the ability of public safety personnel in different agencies or jurisdictions to communicate with each other by radio on demand, in real time. It is necessary for a wide range of operations:
Mutual-aid responses to catastrophic accidents or disasters by many public safety agencies Routine day-to-day coordination to handle events like fires or vehicle chases Extended task force operations involving local, state, and federal agencies to address a public safety challenge (e.g., long-term disaster recovery, security for major events, or drug trafficking).
What is the problem? –
In two 1998 surveys, more than 2,000 public safety agencies rated spectrum and funding limitations as their biggest obstacles to interoperability. Additional obstacles were incompatible technologies and lack of adequate systems planning.
What has been done? –
In January 1998, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reallocated 24 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum for public safety use. Some of that spectrum was dedicated to supporting interoperability. SAFECOM is working to foster interoperability among local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies.
What remains to be done? –
Improving interoperability calls for action on many fronts:
Alerting local, tribal, state, and federal decision makers to the public safety need for additional spectrum and funding
Participating actively in developing the open standards required to ensure compatible technologies and competitive markets
Improving systems planning to ensure cost and spectrum efficiency.
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Coordination & Partnerships |
What is the problem? –
When public safety personnel cannot talk to each other by radio at the scene of an accident or a disaster, the problem often reflects lack of coordination and partnerships. Public safety agencies sometimes feel reluctant to coordinate or share communications systems because of "turf issues." Elected and appointed officials often do not fully understand the vital role interoperable communications play in protecting life and property. Local, tribal, state, and federal agencies generally lack opportunities to share experiences, develop common approaches, and identify best practices.
What has been done? –
Government agencies at all levels are increasingly developing partnerships to support shared communications systems that improve interoperability, lower costs, and feature shared management and control. States are also beginning to establish executive-level committees to lead efforts to address interoperability issues.
What remains to be done? –
Information about the benefits of coordinated communications should be broadly and actively shared at all levels. Local, tribal, state, and federal agencies should form working groups or executive committees to coordinate interoperability activities, and government leaders should work with these groups by issuing appropriate policies or executive orders. Associations that represent government officials or public safety executives should commit themselves to supporting and working for interoperability. All of these groups can use Public Safety WINS: Wireless Interoperability National Strategy to pursue solutions to the technical and policy challenges to improving interoperability.
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to view documents related to Coordination & Partnerships in our library.
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Funding |
What is the problem? –
Funding is the primary obstacle to implementing and maintaining effective public safety communications systems for many reasons. Recognizing and addressing these reasons is essential to obtaining the communications systems that public safety officials need.
What has been done? –
Increasingly, local and state governments are establishing dedicated funding sources, considering the merits of system replacements, taking steps to plan and manage regional or statewide systems, and adopting cost reduction strategies. Recent federal studies have called attention to the cost of public safety radio equipment and the importance of funding as an obstacle to improving interoperability and other aspects of public safety communications.
What remains to be done? –
Funding levels need to be significantly increased. Training and education programs should be developed to raise the priority assigned to funding public safety communications systems.
Click here to view documents related to Funding in
our library.
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Spectrum |
What is the problem? –
Scarce spectrum results in congestion and interference, limiting the ability of public safety personnel to communicate. Growing requirements for transmission of data, images, and video also increase the need for spectrum and hence spectrum competition.
What has been done? –
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has significantly increased the spectrum allocated to public safety. It reallocated 24 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum currently assigned to television broadcasters in the 700 MHz band. It also allocated 50 MHz in the 4.9 gigahertz (GHz) band to public safety to support broadband data and video transmissions. As well, the FCC has modified spectrum management rules and regulations to encourage efficient spectrum use—making it possible, for example, for local, tribal, state, and federal agencies to share spectrum.
What remains to be done? –
The recommendations made by the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee
(PSWAC) indicate that public safety spectrum is still needed for interoperability
in the frequencies below 512 MHz. In the 800 MHz band, interference from commercial
wireless devices is an acute and growing problem. In the 700 MHz band, the
FCC needs to continue its aggressive actions to encourage television broadcasters
to vacate these frequencies voluntarily. Equally important, the public safety
community needs equipment that operates on these frequencies. Specific problems
need to be resolved, as well, in some geographic areas (e.g., metropolitan
and other areas along the Canadian and Mexican borders).
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Standards and Technology |
What is the problem? –
Public safety personnel often cannot talk to each other because their radios and other communication equipment come from competing manufacturers. In these cases, each manufacturer uses proprietary technology, and public safety personnel with equipment from different manufacturers cannot communicate.
What has been done? –
Industry and members of local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies have engaged in a long-term standards development process.
Some manufacturers are beginning to build equipment that complies with
these open standards. Some state and regional consortiums are also
insisting on use of standards-compliant systems. Still more standards
development is under way.
What remains to be done? –
Manufacturers should expand their commitment to producing standards-compliant communications infrastructure. Equally important, the public safety community should be made aware of standards-compliant equipment, and the importance of public safety participation in standards development efforts should be emphasized.
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to view documents related to Standards and Technology in our library.
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Security |
What is the problem? –
Although advanced communications systems provide significant benefits to public safety,
they remain subject to traditional security threats and are also more susceptible to
new security vulnerabilities.
What has been done? –
Experts are working with the public safety community and industry to define security
guidelines, standards, and procedures for public safety communications.
What remains to be done? –
Government leaders need to understand the potential security threats and risks associated with evolving public
safety communications systems. Public safety agencies must incorporate security measures
into their existing systems to the greatest extent possible.
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here to view documents related to Security in our library.
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AFECOM has
identified five key issues in achieving interoperability among public safety networks: Coordination and
Partnerships, Funding, Spectrum, Standards and Technology, and Security. SAFECOM offers the
following guides, which provide an overview of each area and contain both policy and technical information
relating to interoperability. We also encourage you to 
"Public Safety
