Safeguarding Communities Through Modern Communication Systems, Strategy Paper From the Center for Digital Government

Community emergencies — from wild fires and floods to accidents and acts of terrorism — underscore the importance of mutual aid among law enforcement and other responding agencies. The decades-old practice of mutual aid is rooted in the historic American ethic of "neighbors helping neighbors." The prospects for modern mutual aid are often frustrated by the inability of neighbors to talk to each other. At issue is the lack of interoperability among dissimilar communications systems used by various agencies.

The need for multi-agency coordination and interoperability, where public safety officials can share information in a secure, real-time digital environment, is the subject of a new strategy paper from the Center for Digital Government, "Getting the Green Light: Safer Communities Through Mutual Aid and Critical Communications Interoperability." http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/center/fileReg.php?file=Getting_the_Green_Light.pdf&name=Getting%20The%20Green%20Light

Full Story: http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php/96220