Examples of NIJ's Communications Technology Assistance
Through its CommTech portfolio and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Centers, NIJ actively responds to communications technology assistance requests from public safety officials across the country. Read examples below of:
Day-to-Day Interoperability Assistance
Problems with public safety interoperability during major disasters are widely known, but many commonplace events also require that different agencies and jurisdictions communicate effectively and in real time—traffic accidents, missing children, fires, high-speed chases, rescues, and chemical spills. The CommTech program sometimes provides planning and coverage assistance to help agencies address these types of interoperability needs, for example:
- Boosting interoperability between fire and police units. NIJ helped Fredericksburg, Virginia, police and fire chiefs establish interoperable communications through an interconnect switch. Assistance included advising how to optimize coverage without significant financial investment.
- Implementing interoperability across Texas. Through the Sheriff's Association of Texas, NIJ provided technology assistance for 26 Brazoria County fire departments; Frio County, Webb County, Medina County, Caldwell County, and El Paso County Sheriff's offices; and the Middle Rio Grande Development Council of Governments. NIJ also worked with this association to further develop communications operability and interoperability for State and local agencies along the entire 26-county U.S.-Mexico border.
Interoperability Assistance for Major Events
NIJ has supported advance planning and emergency response for major events and disasters, including interoperability assistance for the 2001 and 2005 Presidential Inaugurations, Hurricane Rita response, and the trial of September 11th conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. Other examples include:
- World War II Memorial Dedication. The 2004 dedication of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall attracted more than 40,000 people, and more than 30 law enforcement agencies and 600 officers joined forces to make the ceremonies safe. To ensure that officers could communicate effectively, NIJ helped the U.S. Park Police deploy a mobile communications infrastructure that allowed officers to either use compatible 800 MHz radios or connect through an intermediary switch. Read more about how this approach worked in Tech Beat, (Pdf, 3 pages) (Winter 2005) Exit Notice.
- Opening the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. For the May 2006 opening ceremonies for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (connecting Maryland and Virginia across the Potomac River adjacent to Washington, DC) NIJ assisted the Alexandria (VA) Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Maryland State Police, the Fairfax County Police Department, the DC Police Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard in developing a comprehensive, multilayered communications plan, which was successfully deployed to help these agencies achieve interoperability during the May 18, 2006, event.
- Independence Day 2006. NIJ was also involved in the 2006 Independence Day celebration in Washington, DC. The U.S. Park Police requested assistance in developing a reliable and comprehensive communications plan for multiple agencies providing mutual aid for the events. NIJ provided a communications plan that used the Arlington County Metropolitan Interoperability Radio System gateway. The plan was accepted and deployed successfully.
Read more on communications technology interoperability assistance and initiatives in Law Enforcement Technology, (January 2006), Exit Notice .