Efficient and effective communication strategies

Efficient and effective communication in law enforcement -- radio compatibility and the potential of the Dynamic Open Architecture Radio System (DOARS)

Law enforcement agencies often depend upon their own stand-alone radio communication systems. These systems are often incompatible with the communication systems of other law enforcement agencies. A 2006 brochure published by the National Task Force on Interoperability (NTFI) entitled "When They Can't Talk, Lives are Lost" asks: "Did you know that first responders had to use runners to carry messages from one command center to another in the immediate aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing because they did not have common radio systems? Do you know how often agencies cannot talk to one another or to agencies in their neighboring cities, counties, or states?" (p.2) Reliable commercial cell phone channels are difficult to find during times of crisis, and in a situation such as finding suspected anthrax spores in a New York subway terminal, cell phones might not be able to find a signal underground. But in this situation, communication between different agencies would be essential. A local New York City police unit might want to know if any suspected anthrax was not accounted for in states across the nation, or know how to deal with this specific biohazard from a state or federal public health agency.