New York's twin towers burn following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack

New York City is not prepared for another 911

The communications infrastructure of New York City is not prepared to face another 911 attack or any other truly catastrophic event.

This is the conclusion one reaches early on when reading the article Emergency Comms in New York City by John Kasupski, KC2HMZ. It's in the September issue of Popular Communications magazine.

Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, takes a look at what the author has to say:

In his article John Kasupski asks a rhetorical question. Would the vital police, fire and E-M-S personnel responding to such an incident be any better off in their communications capabilities today than they were six years ago? He answers the question by stating that as of this past June the evidence suggests that they would not be any better off than they were on September 11, 2001.

The article cites the results of an investigation by WABC television reporter N.J. Burkett. Among the things Burkett discovered was that a battery back-up system for the New York fire department radio system was supposed to last 24 hours. It didn't. And the emergency 911 call system bogged down after a 2006 power failure. Priority callers had to wait up to 20 minutes to get a response.

Interoperability with adjoining communities also remains a problem. A quoted report from WCBS news said that even though New York City has an 800 MHz radio system, the current approach for providing communications between the city and its neighboring counties remains the telephone. And that’s unreliable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that no one particular agency seems to have current phone number to reach its counterpart in an adjacent community.

Kasupski's article is a graphic lesson on how local politicians have completely failed to bring the city's emergency response radio system into line with the times we live in.
It should also serve as a reminder to radio amateurs in the New York metro area as to why they need to be ready to respond at a moment's notice.

If all that John Kasupski, KC2HMZ, states in his article is correct, then the City of New York is still totally reliant on radio hams in time of crisis even thought that fact won't be realized until the time comes for them to respond.

History does seem to have a way of repeating itself.

Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF
Amateur Radio Newsline
(originally from the City of New York and now in the studio in Los Angeles)

• You can read John Kasupski's story on the emergency communications problems facing the New York City beginning on page 15 of the September issue of Popular Communications magazine.

Source: ARNewsline™