Applications of Telecommunications Networks in Disasters and Rescue Operations

Recent natural disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy and the Washington, D.C., metro–area derecho, revealed vulnerabilities in first responder communication networks and equipment. Agencies in different jurisdictions have long sought interoperable radios, but Sandy showed what happens when the infrastructure those agencies rely on is destroyed. This book addresses telecommunications needs for mitigating the effects of natural and man-made disasters in which normal communications are often disrupted by physical damage, system overload, or adverse weather conditions.