Following 9-11 the lack of interoperability was identified as a key problem. Firefighters in particular had a difficult time talking to other emergency workers, and it was subsequently determined their inability to communicate with each other may have delayed evacuation of the North Tower.

Later, Hurricane Katrina came along. It was much easier to blame a lack of interoperability for failure, rather than to admit total incompetence. Nevertheless, it spurred on the bureaucrats to spend what has amounted to needless millions on communication plans that would become outdated almost as quickly as they were implemented.

Just wait for CRC to get rolling between David Evans and WDOT and ODOT, it'll make OWIN look like pikers.

Meanwhile schools are starving and potholes widen.

Yesterday there was a guy from an engineering firm checking out measuring poles and wires in my Milwaukie neighborhood. He shared with me that Clackamas County is building their own fiber optic network for public safety and county functions. They need to find space on the poles for the new cable. It will take 1-1/2 years to build and connect the whole county so it sounds like big money. I hope it goes better that OWIN. And of course, will it be better/cheaper than using private utility system?

Psssh, that's nothing... trying wasting some REAL money.

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/07/columbia_river_crossing_has_sp.html

So if the Twin Towers are rebuilt in Oregon and this system ever becomes operable, then our firefighters will know they are going to die?

I'm a big supporter of high functioning radio/mobile data communications for first responders, but I don't think it has very much to do with anti-terrorism preparedness or response.

I also believe we could have built a fallback "emergency cellular/first responder" network for less money and given all the Fire Chiefs/Command Officers a "push to talk" cellphone with all the County emergency numbers pre-programmed. Off-the-shelf, baby.