Sunday, November 18, 2012

In Considering The Readiness Of Emergency Communication Equipment Pennsylvania Will Have Similar Concerns As Other States

By Rebekah Alford


Among the numerous states nationwide with concerns about how ready they are and the condition of their emergency communication equipment Pennsylvania is high on the list. Pennsylvania has important cities like Philadelphia which increases the need for emergency preparedness measures. An important part of these preparations involves ensuring that equipment is good order.

In order to be fully prepared for such emergencies many factors need to be considered. There are two main systems or components associated with preparedness. These two systems need to be equally ready in order to effectively handle an emergency.

Of these two systems the first is that notification system. The primary responsibility of the notification system is to broadcast information from authorities to the public in the event of an emergency. The notification system makes use of tools such as e-mails text messages and twitter. A distinguishing characteristic of the notification system is that it is a one-way system.

Also involved in the process is a second system referred to as a communication system. Many of the same tools are used in by this system. The difference is that this system is one-way system. Additionally the information that is disseminated or exchanged in the system is more detailed rather than simple notification.

In the process of making sure that that these systems are functioning to the best of their ability there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. One of the tools that states use to ensure that they're as prepared as possible is a review of the experiences of past events. Such reviews serve as learning tools that can help states determine to what to do and what not to do in the case of an emergency.

One such case is that of the attacks that happened at the world trade center in New York. In this case there was a marked overload of telecommunication systems. This resulted in a congestion of phone networks throughout the entire east coast. Communications between emergency personnel were hampered due to a lack of interoperability between the various departments. This failure of communication systems resulted in the death of firefighters who were not able to receive the necessary communication from their stations.

There was another total breakdown of systems during the London subway bombings. The day that the bombings occurred phone networks were completely overwhelmed by 10 am. The radio system that would regularly have been used to communicate between trains that had been damaged and the control centers were completely out of date. This went completely useless. After the incident measures were taken to remedy the situation. One of these fixes that was instituted was a requirement that digital radio be utilized in communication systems. There was also a requirement put in place that these digital systems be usable under ground.

When reviewing the readiness of their emergency communication equipment Pennsylvania has a lot to learn from these and other similar events. This is important to make sure that they are prepared for future events. The responsibility involved in this undertaking should never be taken lightly. It is one that should be taken on only by qualified professionals.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment