[Scan-DC] New radio "devices" for Balto Co

[Alan Henney]

Baltimore Sun
Balto. County unveils fire radios Devices let emergency workers easily
communicate with crews from other jurisdictions

By Nick Shields, Sun reporter

January 20, 2006

When a fuel tanker exploded two years ago on Interstate 95 near the
border of Baltimore and Howard counties, emergency crews from various
jurisdictions not only battled deadly flames. They also faced
challenges in communicating with one another.

"The fire service lines melt away, but we've got to be able to talk,"
Richard Petry, a fire director who oversees emergency communications
for the Baltimore County Fire Department, said yesterday as officials
unveiled radios that they said would go a long way toward solving the
problem.

Now, with a few swift finger taps on a radio keypad, county
firefighters can listen to their counterparts from the city or other
counties and coordinate their efforts without a delay.

Officials said the county has bought 340 of the portable fire radios
and that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistance to
Firefighters Grant paid $747,000 of the cost, which exceeded $1
million.

During a demonstration of the radios yesterday at the county's
Halethorpe fire station, County Executive James T. Smith Jr. said it
is crucial for emergency workers to be able to communicate easily with
crews from neighboring jurisdictions.

"As communities around the county take a closer look at Homeland
Security and our ability to deal with natural disasters, we see more
and more the need for regional cooperation," Smith said.

Representatives from Baltimore City and Howard and Anne Arundel
counties also gathered at the fire station to demonstrate how within
seconds each department could communicate with Baltimore County and
one another in an emergency.

Before the county purchased the radios, messages between jurisdictions
had to be relayed through dispatchers or electronically patched, fire
officials said.

The new radios will allow responders from various jurisdictions to use
a common channel and listen to each other's systems almost instantly.

Fire officials said the radios, similar to equipment used in the other
counties, have gradually been distributed throughout the Baltimore
County Fire Department since last year.

Officials agreed yesterday that the radios could have helped two years
ago when a fuel tanker veered off an overpass and landed on Interstate
95 in Howard County. The explosion, which drew fire crews from
Baltimore-Washington International Airport and nearby jurisdictions,
killed four people.

"The lack of direct communication did make it very challenging," Petry
said. The new radios "will help alleviate those challenges," he said.

"You can talk to the incident commander directly. If he has an order
for you, it's real time. You know what's going on. You're not going to
be out there in limbo," he said.

The county Fire Department's radios can also be used to communicate
with the county's Police Department and are capable of connecting with
neighboring police agencies, Petry said.

Arthur Cate, division chief for information technology and
communications at the Baltimore City Fire Department, also emphasized
that during an emergency, coordination and communication are key.

"To have an easy way to communicate with other first responders is
paramount to have a successful event," Cate said. "Any delay affects
firefighters' safety and civilian safety. Thirty seconds makes a
difference."