The result was the catastrophic loss of many lives, lives that may have been saved if the various communications systems in use that day would have been able to interoperate.
While 9/11 exposed critical interoperability gaps in emergency response communications infrastructure, an even larger set of issues became apparent during the 2004 Asian tsunami and again with Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

These catastrophes, which destroyed key infrastructure backbones over vast areas, required temporary communications systems to be deployed and to operate without interruption for months on end. And while these temporary networks themselves can operate indefinitely, the refueling efforts required to keep thousands of diesel generators running became prohibitive – and many communications networks were rendered useless due to lack of diesel-generated power.

Enter RespondComm
Led by the West Virginia High Technology Consortium (WVHTC) Foundation and a few key in-state partners who are committed to researching possible solutions, RespondComm is addressing how to serve emergency responders with interoperable, self-sustaining crisis communications systems.
Specifically, RespondComm is focusing on two important areas:
Evaluating emerging Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards and their potential application to public safety, law enforcement and emergency response communications. By doing this, RespondComm will determine the advantages and impact this type of network provides to public safety and emergency response communications; and
Expanding the project to include rapidly deployable mobile tower platforms with integrated alternative power sources – solar, wind, and hydrogen fuel cells – to establish critical response networks that can operate indefinitely without concern for power generation.

RespondComm is funded through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, United States Department of Justice.

WiMAX Backbone
“WiMAX provides a means to address current problems with effective communications

The new technology is a silver lining in the horrific events that happened 7 years ago. The Department of Justice sponsored a project that will help those on the front lines, the firefighters and policemen and EMS, to be able to communicate and work together, no matter what crisis they face.

On September 11, as police were running out of the world trade center with news the building was close to collapsing, fire fighters were rushing in, trying to save lives not knowing the imminent danger.

“The fact that those 2 entities couldn’t talk directly to one another, created a problem that day, where extra lives were lost that maybe shouldn’t have been,” said David Ramsburg, the project manager.

It created the necessity of one, central communication system. The High Technology Consortium Foundation has spent the years following the fateful attacks developing a solution.

“So what this technology is bringing to the table is the ability to bridge the gaps, help fireman talk to policeman and talk to the hospitals and first responders on the scene,” said Ramsburg.

The project is called Respond Comm and uses broadband wireless technology, on a mobile tower that can be brought to any disaster area.

“This enables us not to just share voice communications over a radio, but we can also share data files, images, floor plans for a building, mug shots, and video,” said Ramsburg. Its already being used by the Fairmont Police, giving them internet access in the car, live video from the towers, and instant communication.

Not long after the project began, another national disaster, Hurricane Katrina, again wiped out all communication in the Gulf Coast. That national disaster not only highlighted the need for this technology, but also took the project in a brand new direction.

“In such an event as Katrina, they can put a lot of communication packages out there, but in a day or 2 they all ran out of fuel,” said Dan Headley, president of HCS Technology.

No diesel gas and the new technology wouldn’t work. So, the idea of a self-sustaining tower was born.

“We’re using solar cells as the primary solar source, wind as a back up to solar cell, and a last resort, if we are lacking all wind and sun, after a few days, hydrogen fuel cells kick in,” said Headley.

“We can show up on scene and within 20 minutes we can be up and operating, with no need for diesel generator or to plug into electric energy,” said Ramsburg. The renewable energy on those towers is able to last, in theory, for years at a time. This new technology, the better communications, and the fact that its green, is starting to gain a lot of attention and project coordinators expect it to be a big help in the future.

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