Solving Wireless Communications Interoperability Problems Among Emergency First Responders Depends on Greater National Guard Involvement

Interoperable first responder wireless communications are a key strategic requirement for effectively and efficiently responding to and recovering from man-made and natural disasters. Communications--particularly wireless communications--are the critical enabler of all other functions in any disaster relief operation. Recent major events provide terrible examples of the unnecessary loss of lives and severe confusion in which lack of interoperability played a significant role. These events resulted in renewed efforts from all levels of national government to fix the interoperability problem. The breadth and complexity of the problem resulted in numerous recommendations to improve interoperability for first responders. The most successful of these initiatives are not top-down federal approaches. Rather, they result from local and state personnel driving the solutions that work in local incidents as well as in larger emergencies. An effective national strategy for improving first responder wireless communications interoperability depends on greater involvement of the National Guard. This requires greater emphasis on the National Guards role in proactively interfacing with local first responders to better understand the current state of the dynamic communications environment. A National Guard situation awareness cell at each JFHQ-State that is focused on first responder wireless communications interoperability within the state is key to improving emergency response during the next national crisis.