Interesting section in the Fall 2005 State of Colorado EMS Division Newsletter.
When emergency or extraordinary circumstances occur, cell phone call blockage will occur; and in most circumstances this phenomenon renders the cell phone system inoperable. This happened during the Columbine High School shootings, at the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks and, most recently, during the London bombings.
There is a way for eligible cell phone users to gain priority access to the cellular system. The program is called Wireless Priority Service, or WPS, and it is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, National Communications System. Its Web site is www.wps.ncs.gov. Wireless Priority Service access requirements appear to be rather restrictive, so potential users need to confirm their eligibility with the National
Communications System.
The traditional method of pre-hospital transport to hospital communications has been, and continues to be, two-way public safety radio communications. In Colorado, the radio system that provides statewide coverage with roaming capabilities is the 800 MHz Digital Trunked Radio system (DTR). Like a cell system, the DTR consists of multiple tower sites networked together to provide wide area radio coverage. Different levels of priorities can be assigned to different user types. In the event of an emergency, access to tower sites in the affected area can be restricted “on the fly” as necessary. This keeps non-essential radio traffic off of the sites and prevents radio traffic congestion. For coverage maps and tower locations, visit the DTR Web site at www.co.gov/dtr, and for additional information visit the Consolidated Communications Network of Colorado
Web site at www.ccncinc.org.
Ron Lutz, BS, MTel, is the State Telecommunications Service liaison to the department’s EMTS Section. He can be reached at ron.lutz@state.co.us.
When emergency or extraordinary circumstances occur, cell phone call blockage will occur; and in most circumstances this phenomenon renders the cell phone system inoperable. This happened during the Columbine High School shootings, at the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks and, most recently, during the London bombings.
There is a way for eligible cell phone users to gain priority access to the cellular system. The program is called Wireless Priority Service, or WPS, and it is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, National Communications System. Its Web site is www.wps.ncs.gov. Wireless Priority Service access requirements appear to be rather restrictive, so potential users need to confirm their eligibility with the National
Communications System.
The traditional method of pre-hospital transport to hospital communications has been, and continues to be, two-way public safety radio communications. In Colorado, the radio system that provides statewide coverage with roaming capabilities is the 800 MHz Digital Trunked Radio system (DTR). Like a cell system, the DTR consists of multiple tower sites networked together to provide wide area radio coverage. Different levels of priorities can be assigned to different user types. In the event of an emergency, access to tower sites in the affected area can be restricted “on the fly” as necessary. This keeps non-essential radio traffic off of the sites and prevents radio traffic congestion. For coverage maps and tower locations, visit the DTR Web site at www.co.gov/dtr, and for additional information visit the Consolidated Communications Network of Colorado
Web site at www.ccncinc.org.
Ron Lutz, BS, MTel, is the State Telecommunications Service liaison to the department’s EMTS Section. He can be reached at ron.lutz@state.co.us.
