As emergency managers we know that in every exercise or real disaster, communications will be listed as an area that needs improvement. Sometimes it is the lack of willingness to communicate and share information and then there are the instances when the mechanics of the technology are what is at issue.
Given that continuing gap between what we want to happen and what fails to happen, have you explored what adding a satellite capability will do for your response capability? See the latest
Disaster Zone podcast: “Satellite Communications in Disasters.”Satellite communications is another tool in the emergency management toolbox. I think there are a variety of ways to add the capability and not break the bank. Even better, find a way to employ the system on a regular basis.
When I was at King County Emergency Management, as part of the weekly radio comms test, the duty officer for that week would take the suitcase system we had and set it up and do a communications check with the state Emergency Operations Center. Doing so made sure that the system worked and people knew how to employ it.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
