Re: [TSCM-L] OFF TOPIC - DISASTER COMMUNICATIONS

First, just like to thank JMA for the great work on this site.
 
Second, came by this letter in the "Our Readers Speak Out" section on page 6 of the February 2006 issue of Popular Communications. It was written in response to an earlier column in the magazine re the problem with communications during Katrina.
 
 
"Dear Editor:
 
    I just read your rant in the December 2005 Pop'comm. Ouch! Don't hold back. Harold, tell us how you really feel! I agree with you, and to prove it I am attaching my own, more technically oriented rant, on the same subject. I responded to an item I read on 'Stupid Scanner Tricks' Yahoo group of which I am a member, and I have included that item as well. Publish as much or as little of it as you feel prudent. I am glad to see you show no mercy to people who don't deserve any.
 
Craig, N3TPM
 
[Editor's Note:  Here = is Craig's well written, common sense approach to solving some of our problems.]
 
"From: stupidsca..._at_yahoogroups.com on behalf of Craig Leventhal [cle..._at_ptd.net]
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 6:09 PM
To: stupidsca..._at_yahoogroups.com
Cc: Myself
Subject: Re:[SST] U.S. Lacks Unified Emergency Radio System
 
     I = am surprised that the engineering team at M/A-Com Tyco, didn't take into account New Orleans vulnerability to floods, when they designed the system. Certainly the local service shops, the 'people on the ground,'  could have provided some helpful input to engineering on this matter. Also, the critical infrastructure components could have been placed outside of the zone protected by the levees and still provided the required coverage. As for interoperability, the city only needed to assign a few extra talkgroups to outside agencies for emergency use, and then hand out additional portable radios as needed. What really surprised me was the comment made by one of the Coast Guard personnel, in which he said that the helicopters could not communicate with the ground (airboat) units because they lacked a common band to operate on.  The Coast Guard does have marine VHF channels (156-162MHz) in all their vehicles, so how hard would it be to issue portables to the ground units? Or better yet, if any of the agencies on the ground are using VHF, why not just add some common channels to their radios for communications with the helos? Folks, this is not rocket science and need not cost lots of money. OK so you are saying that the 800 MHz trunked system is off the air and the New Orleans PD's radios are just a $1500 brick. Well, boys and girls,  when the cellular guys need extra capacity they bring in a C.O.W. (Cellsite On Wheels). These are completely self contained, need no outside power, and some have solar panels to keep the batteries charged and they can be deployed in short order. M/A-Com Tyco, Motorola, EF Johnson, are you guys listening to this?
 
    Alright = so here we are, now what do we do? We turn to ham radio, not for them to relay messages, which we all know they do with great efficiency,  but for something else pioneered by hams: cross-linking. Connect two or more mobile radios together and form a repeater that, for example, receives on 146 MHz (VHF) and retransmits that signal on 446 MHz (UHF). And it works in both directions! Now substitute 154 MHz (VHF) and 453 (UHF) and you have a cheap solution to an emergency interoperability problem. Now take it one step further; many radio manufacturers make ham radios that are dual band or even more that can crosslink with the touch of a few buttons. No special modifications needed. Now if only the commercially type accepted version for public safety use could do the same thing, interoperability problems would go away. For those agencies using a tower-based system,  whether it is a simple repeater or a full blown trunked system, this tragedy should highlight the need for tower sites to be hardened against a worse case scenario like Katrina. These hardening measures could be done over time as system components are replaced or upgraded, so that the cost would not be so overwhelming. In flood-prone areas, equipment could be mounted on platforms above the worse known high water levels, and backup power sources could also. Taking advantage of natural 'high ground' should be maximized. Placing equipment of rooftops of apartment or office buildings should always be considered for critical public safety infrastructure and both battery and generator backup should be used. Lastly, there are several manufacturers that have products in the market that allow  radios to be cross linked by simple plug-and-play setup. Any public safety official involved in emergency management, should consider acquiring appropriate radio gear for the purpose of cross linking and have it available for any emergency where outside agencies might be involved, and as a backup for their own existing system, just in case. If cost is a factor, most municipal radio shops have the talent on hand to setup a basic, readily deployable, crosslink system, utilizing previous radios that have been pulled from service or used as pares [sic]. There is no excuse for the apparent lack of communications after an emergency, as we have seen here with New Orleans. I know of small portable repeaters that can be connected to a mobile radio to provide intra as well as inter agency communications, they run on 12 vold dc power and are the size of a briefcase and can be brought on line in less than five minutes!
 
Enough said"
 
 
Further on in the magazine = at page 41, the "Washington Beat" column by Richard Fisher, KI6SN, has the following:
 
"Parts Of ITU Communications Handbook Available On Line
 
      Significant portions of the 2005 Handbook on Emergency Communications by the International Telecommunications Union can  be downloaded free from the Internet in English, Spanish or French, the organization has announced. The handbook was written as a companion text for everyone who is called upon to provide and use telecommunications during disasters and relief efforts.
 
        For more information, visit www.itu.int/ITU-D/emergencytelecoms/publications.html"
 
 
THE END
 
Reg Curtis
(wilson_9748)
VE9RWC