Public Safety Communications

Understanding Wireless Communications in Public Safety Guidebook

Created by NLECTC-Rocky Mountain, this publication targets middle and upper managers that are responsible for funding and/or managing communications at their agencies, but have little or no technical background in wireless technology.

The guidebook discusses how to plan and manage a communications project, wireless communications technology and issues, and the options available in wireless communications technology. "We developed this guidebook to help the public safety community better understand the issues and options that surround wireless communications," says Gene McGahey, Program Manager at NLECTC-Rocky Mountain.

To order a copy of the guidebook, please contact the national office of NLECTC at 800-248-2742. The publication is also available for downloading below. For more information on communications technology for public safety, please contact Gene McGahey at 800-416-8086.

Understanding Wireless Communications in Public Safety A Guidebook to Technology, Issues, Planning, and Management, March 2000, Revised August 2000

Radio Communications Systems Compatibility (Interoperability) Study

In 1998, NLECTC Rocky Mountain completed a study to quantify current and planned telecommunications infrastructure, interoperability requirements, interoperability shortfalls, and the knowledge level of state and local law enforcement agencies regarding interoperability technologies and issues. The study goes beyond technological issues to address current policies and procedures which affect interoperability. It examines existing regulatory issues which may limit or prevent a cost effective solution to the interoperability problem. It defines how state and local law enforcement currently utilize commercial services, such as cellular and paging, and how commercial services can further enhance and support the interoperability requirements in the future, as digital and radio frequency data technology matures.

The population of state and local law enforcement is comprised of over 19,000 separate agencies. A statistically significant sample of organizations within each state representing all department sizes was developed. Subjects consisted of communications managers, administrators or the most appropriate individual(s) at a given jurisdiction. The major goal of the study is to develop a clear understanding of the interoperability issues throughout the nation.

For a printed copy of this study, State and Local Law Enforcement Wireless Communications and Interoperability: A Quantitative Analysis by Mary J. Taylor, Robert C. Epper, and Thomas K. Tolman, please call the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420.

Additional Interoperability Resources

"Why Can't We Talk?" When Lives Are At Stake, 1998, (Video)
The "Why Can't We Talk?" When Lives Are At Stake video is one component of the U.S. Department of Justice's public education campaign, headed by Associate Attorney General Raymond C. Fisher. It provides an executive summary of the growing importance of interoperability in an effort to foster informed decisionmaking regarding the planning, design, and funding of public safety radio systems. To receive your free copy of the video, call NLECTC at 800-248-2742.
Download the "Why Can't We Talk?" fact sheet.

Public Safety Radio Spectrum: A Vital Resource for Saving Lives and Protecting Property
Published by the Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) Program, this guide is an update of the Public Safety and Radio Spectrum Guide that was previously prepared by the PSWN Program. It stresses the importance of radio spectrum to public safety missions and discusses how radio spectrum for public safety use has changed since the original Public Safety and Radio Spectrum Guide was produced in 1998.
Download in Adobe Acrobat format.

Gene McGahey
NLECTC-Rocky Mountain
Program Manager of Communications Technology - Technical Assistance
Phone: 800-416-8086
Email: Gene.McGahey@nlectc-rm.org

Last updated: January 23, 2008