Emerging Communications Technologies

Emerging technologies offer advanced capabilities to enhance command and control and situational awareness for emergency responders. The SAFECOM Nationwide Survey (SNS) showed that public safety organizations encounter significant challenges in adopting new technologies and integrating them into operations. As technology evolves, public safety organizations must update their governing bodies, standard operating procedures, training, and exercises to account for these new capabilities. Planning for all these touchpoints is key to implementing new technologies. If not, they risk significant challenges in adopting new technologies and integrating them into operations. However, only10% of public safety organizations are planning for advanced interoperability solutions. This document summarizes the correlation between planning for emerging technologies and overall emergency communications progress found in the SNS. It also describes actions in the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) that organizations can take to better prepare for these advancements.