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APPENDIX A: PRIORITIZED PROJECT ISSUES 

Ranking Area Topic 

10 

Accountability (Integrating 

Personal Accountability 

Systems (PAS) with 

Communications) 

• Integrating PAS with communications • Electronic accountability • Automatic vehicle location • Electronic command boards 

10 Communication Planning and Coordination • Through building (into/out of) • Underground 

• In building 

10 Grants • Small business grants – who and what (if information available) 10 

Monitoring Firefighter 

Welfare and Location OnScene 

• Role/responsibility of dispatchers. • Use of field communications units and communications coordinato• Remote monitoring • Vital signs • Location 

10 Reliability Issues 

• Line-of-sight limitations • Underground (subways, parking garages) • Confined space rescue • Communication into and out of buildings (especially high-rises) • Intermittence • Communication coverage/dead spots 

10 Reliability Issues – Interference • Communicating into buildings • Radio propagation through fire, heat and smoke 10 Unsuitable Equipment • Frequency band unsuitable for structure/ground penetration 
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Ranking Area Topic 

2 Reliability Issues 

• Equipment Failure • Mechanical/technical issues (unstable equipment, radio malfunctio• Concerns about reliability of 800-MHz digital systems • Failure observability • Field testing prior to implementation • Radios introduced into fire stations without field testing • Interference • Atmospheric • Electronic • Built environment (tunnels, high-rise buildings, shipboard) • Jamming (terrorism) • Reliability of 800 MHZ digital technology/reliability of Motorola XTS • Repeater performance/repeater infrastructure • Environmental (hills, foliage, mountainous terrain, distance) 

• Acknowledgement of message 

2 Unsuitable Equipment • Most equipment adapted from other uses • Unable to communicate from inside using full personal protective e1 Communication Planning and Coordination 

• Coordination of ground-to-ground and air-to-ground communication• Lack of integrated communication planning (frequency coordination• Failure to use ICS correctly or at all 

• Inadequate ability to receive, disseminate, and analyze information • No backup data – command post destroyed as in World Trade Cen• Vehicle/unit tracking – geo-location • Intra- and interagency communications 

1 No Equipment • Some firefighters lack radios 
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Ranking Area Topic 

Not Investigated Ergonomics 

• Human factors receiving little attention • Develop additional skill sets • Stress-tempered communication skills • Survival simulator (similar to airline pilot virtual reality simulator) • Radio discipline • Cultural factors • Unwillingness to call for help • Inadequate training and personnel performance • Performance issues on complex multi-channel/multi-mode radio sy• New systems must be learnable/focus on learn-ability • Unfamiliarity with the use of new radio equipment • Ability to deploy and manage new technology • Resistance to new technology • Difficulty communicating while wearing SCBA • Current adaptations (speech ports, face piece integrated micropho

portable radio interfaces, throat mikes, bone mikes, etc) receive mixed 
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Ranking Area Topic 

Not Investigated Inadequate System Capacity 

• During complex, multi-alarm incidents with many operating units at• Number of frequencies available vs. number of people attempting t• Legal process to acquire • Lack of repeaters/repeating infrastructure • Opportunities to test and deploy portable, mobile, air-based and sta• Portable radios needed for all firefighters • Should be considered a critical item of personal protective equipme• Every firefighter (or two-person team) working in a hostile environm

portable radio with emergency distress feature 

• Radio spectrum deficiencies • Work at federal level to secure enough radio spectrum • Radio spectrum interoperability for public safety • Department of Defense report re. progress on 138-144-MHz band 

• Commercial applications (e.g., Nextel) • Cell phones • System capacity • ACU1000 – mixer – multiple frequencies patched (IC only use) 

Not Investigated Unsuitable Equipment 

• Firefighters must use SCBA and communicate effectively • Needed: a better portable radio specifically designed for the structu

environment 

• Physically robust system • Waterproof • Ruggedized/shock resistant • Able to withstand high heat environment • Designed to be easily operable with heavy gloves in a hostile envir• Observability of LCD displays in low light conditions • Concerns over triggering radio controlled bombs and terrorist devic• Black box recorder • Battery life, interchangeability