At the recent homeland security conference at the University of Maine, much was said about the importance of interoperability and its vital role in emergency communications. In the context of emergency communications, interoperability can be defined as the ability of authorized personnel from different public safety agencies and organizations to communicate directly with each other during an emergency.

Unified incident command structures function poorly when they rely on communications infrastructures which do not feature sufficient redundancy, interoperability and a set of accepted protocols. This was identified early on as one of the most important lessons of Sept. 11.

In Maine, Cumberland County and not the state of Maine is leading the charge when it comes to interoperability. Perhaps because it has grown tired of waiting for any sense of direction from Augusta, Cumberland County is far along with the adoption of its own set of guidelines in advance of a comprehensive statewide plan.

At the same time, the process of creating a statewide set of interoperability guidelines which was initiated more than two years ago with much fanfare, has now come to a grinding halt. From the Office of the Chief Information Officer comes word recently that a new effort is underway, along with a “prioritization and a redoubling of effort.”

While this sounds upbeat and on target, what more really needs to be explored at this point? Why reinvent the wheel given the fact that a working group consisting of representatives from numerous state agencies has already spent considerable time examining interoperability and exploring how to go about achieving it?

This working group met on a regular basis until early 2003, and discussed ways to address serious deficiencies in emergency communications statewide. Rather than try to tackle the problem on its own, the working group was aided by a team of experts who were flown from out of state as part of the Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) initiative, a federal outreach and support program which offered free advice and guidance to states grappling with this complex problem.

Last September, with the assistance of many working group members and others I completed work on a draft set of interoperability guidelines which was submitted for review and approval along with a separate background document which was prepared for Gov. John Baldacci. After waiting months for the draft to be reviewed and approved, I urged the state to set a deadline for the release of the guidelines in late June. My request was accompanied by a revised and updated draft which replaced the earlier version that had been gathering dust in Augusta for almost nine months.

Too much time has already passed, and why the state cannot move forward with a process that had been evolving and progressing at a reasonably brisk pace up until mid-2003 is difficult to understand. While Maine is well served by thousands of competent first responders and many existing mutual aid pacts, the ongoing delay surrounding the issuance of interoperability guidelines is much more than a distraction.

If nothing else, the state should take a hard look at what has taken shape in Cumberland County and use this as an opportunity to reinforce its broader statewide effort. The alternative is to simply stand by and watch as a series of fragmented countywide solutions emerge. Among other things, this would greatly undermine efforts to identify and implement regional solutions across the board with respect to emergency communications.

In addition, because the state is moving quickly ahead with plans to purchase and deploy a small fleet of high-tech mobile command vehicles, it would be a good idea to establish the interoperability guidelines immediately. Why do these vehicles cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? It is because they put all the right tools in the hands of incident commanders on scene, and this enables a rapid and effective multi-agency response. However, these vehicles do not create interoperability. This must be established before these vehicles roll to a scene.

When it comes to interoperability in Maine, we do not need another round of discussions or another working group. Putting the existing but now dormant emergency communications working group back on track, and incorporating elements of the Cumberland County plan into the existing draft guidelines would be good first step. First responders and public safety officials could quickly and collectively review the draft. In a nutshell, it is time to finish the task at hand.

Peter J. Brown is a freelance writer from Mount Desert. A member of the emergency communications working group since 2002, he serves in a voluntary capacity as a satellite technology and communications advisor to the Maine Emergency Management Agency.