Communications Interoperability in Disaster Response Situations

Virginia Tech¹s Center for Wireless Telecommunications organized the conference ³Strengths from the Rural Heartland: The Role of Wireless Technologies in Disaster Response and Preparedness² held April 23, 2002 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The conference focused on the role of wireless information technology in disaster planning, disaster recovery, and homeland security, especially in rural areas. This panel brought the highlights of that conference to dg.o 2002. Panelists presented government and industry perspectives on the role of wireless communications in disaster response. Given the growing importance and challenges of inter-agency collaboration, the panel emphasized problems and solutions for communications interoperability.