The city was evaluated by Homeland Security after receiving grants to improve interagency responses
By Karen Sloan
Omaha World-Herald
Copyright 2007 The Omaha World-Herald Company
OMAHA, Neb. — Three years ago, firefighters and police officers in Omaha couldn’t communicate directly with each other because they used different radio systems.
Today, the Police and Fire Departments use the same 800 megahertz radio system, as do many of the other emergency response agencies in Douglas, Sarpy and Washington Counties.
While emergency communications have steadily improved, a new assessment by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave Omaha average marks for the ability to communicate across agency lines.
Omaha’s score landed it near the middle of a pack of the 75 cities and regions that were evaluated on the ability of emergency agencies to communicate with one another.
“I think it’s a fair assessment,” said Mark Conrey, director of the Douglas County 911 center. “We’re happy to be in the middle of the group after just a few years working on this.”
The best ratings went to Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Minneapolis-St. Paul; Columbus, Ohio; Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Laramie County, Wyo.
Also, Chicago; Cleveland; Baton Rouge, La.; Mandan, N.D.; and American Samoa received the lowest scores.
Omaha was the only Nebraska city evaluated. The only Iowa area evaluated -- a cluster of 17 counties that includes Mount Pleasant -- received an average score.
Incidents such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina have highlighted the need for better emergency communications systems. That prompted the federal government to pour $2.9 billion into grants to help local agencies improve homeland security functions, including communication.
Omaha was evaluated because the city has received $13.4 million over the past two years from Homeland Security as part of its Urban Area Security Initiative. Some of that funding was used to improve emergency communications. Every city that received the grant money was evaluated.
Cities that began receiving the grant money before Omaha tended to score higher on the Homeland Security assessment, Conrey said.
Omaha’s average rating was based on its overall plan to improve communication between agencies in the tri-county area. It also was based on the performance of the agencies involved in security at the 2006 College World Series, said Don Thorson, who works on homeland security in the Mayor’s Office.
A team of Homeland Security evaluators observed the communications system during the College World Series, which involved 18 emergency agencies.
“We went about our normal operations, but they would also ask us to perform specific tasks,” said Capt. Don Truckenbrod of the Omaha Police Department. “They mentioned that the agencies worked well together.”
Omaha scored fairly high in the “usage” category of the assessment, which rated the ability of agencies to communicate with one another and the frequency in which they communicate across agency lines.
Thorson, Conrey and Truckenbrod said they were pleased that Omaha scored the highest in the usage category, since it reflects the actual capability of the area’s 911 communication system.
The city scored lower in the operating procedure category and the category that evaluates planning and leadership.
“We found out that we have some holes in the (standard operating procedures), and we’re trying to fix that,” Conrey said.
Developing solid communications procedures and uniform training for every agency takes time, he said. It will also take time to develop a regulatory body that will oversee the tricounty interoperations communication system, Conrey said.
Though there is room for improvement, Truckenbrod said the current 911 communications system is a vast improvement.