Thursday, Oct. 9, 2003 | 10:57 a.m.
While Mayor Oscar Goodman is due to deliver a speech Friday about the need for regional preparedness for emergency situations such as a terror attack, the federal government announced a $5.9 million grant to be used to link the valley's emergency communication systems.
However, the grant was only half of what the city and Clark County were hoping for. Working together, the two entities made separate grant requests to begin the estimated $30 million task of making sure that agencies that don't regularly communicate would be able to talk during emergencies. For example, during a flood, police may need to talk to members of the water agency.
Clark County Emergency Manager Jim O'Brien explained that because of the way the federal grants programs are structured, the city and county each filed complementary applications seeking a total of about $12 million.
"This was the intent of the federal program to begin with, to maximize bang for the buck for collaborative efforts," O'Brien said. "Our understanding is across the country this type of disconnect occurred in a couple of places, where mutually supportive grant applications did not get awarded together.
"So in a sense, we are benefiting overall, we're clearing one hurdle," O'Brien said. Even if the county got its grant, he said, "we wouldn't have the siding on the house yet, but we would have had the framework."
The lack of coordinated communications was blamed in New York for the deaths of many firefighters, who were rushing into the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, even as police were being told to get out. The agencies were on different radio frequencies. In Las Vegas, Sheriff Bill Young said the valley lacks a system for emergency responders to share radio space.
During the Aug. 19 flood, city firefighters had to be rescued, but could not communicate with Metro's search and rescue team.
Metro Deputy Chief Dennis Cobb, who is in charge of communications, said there are ways to patch together communications between entities that have different frequencies. He said his office planned to spend $450,000 for a truck that can transform radio signals to digital, switch frequencies, then send it back out again.
"We have agencies who need to speak every day," he said. For example, he said, the city can link with North Las Vegas and the Highway Patrol. In other cases, he said, there is a need for "crisis interoperability."
"For example, if there was severe flooding ... if this van is in the area, our helicopter could talk to a public works guy," Cobb said. However, he said: "Simple and easy are two different things. It's pretty simple to describe, but not always easy to pull off."
The grant news came as Goodman prepares to leave for a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Miami Beach. His topic: Regional preparedness in case of disaster. His message: Speak with a unified voice.
"When 9-11 took place, Mayor Giuliani, who was in a state of disrespect and his administration in shambles, stepped up, representing all five boroughs. With a common police chief and fire chief, (the city administration) was able to speak with one voice," Goodman said.
In the case of the valley, he said, the multiple jurisdictions would make that difficult. He said that is yet another reason for the community to seriously discuss consolidating government functions into one entity with jurisdiction over the valley.
"A good start would be to address this matter at the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Commission, where we (local jurisdictions) sit together," he said.
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