[Scan-DC] Interoperability (was: Unit 5 Enroute Rt 301 PG)

[Ed Tobias]

There is a team dedicated to providing radios for interoperability between 
jurisdictions during really major incidents in the DC area.  You hear them 
responding, occasionally, using callsigns such as "NCR701," with "NCR" 
standing for National Capital Region.  For example, they were activated when 
the DCFD radio system went down several months ago.

>From www.ncrhomelandsecurity.org:  The NCR Radio Cache is funded through a 
Department of Homeland Security UASI grant, and consists of 1,250 portable 
radios and ancillary support equipment. It is available to support public 
safety communications within the NCR for emergency and/or scheduled events. 
Within two hours of receiving an emergency deployment request, the radio 
cache will be en-route to the requesting agency with a support staff that 
includes a NIMS qualified Communications Unit Leaders (COML) and 
communications technicians (COMT).

You can read 11 pages of details about it here:

 http://www.interoperability.virginia.gov/pdfs/NCR_Radio_Cache_Deploym_Procs.pdfVirginia also has a radio cache of its own, for use within the commonwealth.Ed, KR3E----- Original Message -----From: "David Lloyd" <lloydde at verizon.net>To: "Scan-dc" <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 2:31 AMSubject: [Scan-DC] Interoperability (was: Unit 5 Enroute Rt 301 PG)>I couldn't resist.  8,000 [edit: 1,000] channels and nobody to talk to...>> But in all seriousness, our agencies must be ready and plan, but until theactual event happens, it's hard to predict the resources necessary. NIMS hascreated a good command structure, but technology has made it difficult toexecute.>> I was listening to the apartment building full of carbon monoxide  inMontgomery County a few weeks ago, where the command officer had multiplechannels for the fire ground, landing zone, and EMS.  From a commandmanagement perspective, I would think that this would be more complicated?>> During the incident, the command officer requested an Landing Zone, butdelegated  the first-due company and another responding company toestablish.   I think initially there was some confusion due to the threechannels. How was the information that is relevant to all communicated?Maybe I missed that part.>> As much talk as there is about interoperability, it doesn't seem likeanyone is driving it.  MCOG seems to have issued standards, but as for trueinteroperability, I have yet to have seen it.    There is always someunforeseen glitch.   Murphy's law, huh?>> David>> On Dec 6, 2011, at 7:59 PM, Doug Kitchener wrote:>>>>> I thought these radios had a capacity of about 8000 (no exaggeration)channels, or talkgroups, or "things"... if that's the case, or even if they(only!) have a capacity of 5000, I can't understand why, at least from ahardware standpoint, that interoperability would be difficult.>> ______________________________________________________________> Scan-DC mailing list> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/scan-dc> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm> Post: mailto:Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html