15 October: Emergency Communication provision & the contribution MSS-CGC can make to Civil Protection
Event Report 15 October: Emergency Communication provision & the contribution MSS-CGC can make to Civil Protection.
Speakers representing both Europe’s Emergency Responder and political communities participated. Attendees were invited to air any local concerns they might have had relating to Emergency Communications or Civil Protection during the Q & A.
In the light of the forest fires that have ravaged Europe’s Mediterranean seaboard this summer, not to mention flooding in the UK; it seemed more pertinent than ever to explore in greater depth the state of Emergency Communications provision across the community. The cause of Satellite for Emergency communications was endorsed by many around the table. Mobile Satellite Services with a Complementary Ground Component should be an integral part of that debate.
Given both the European Parliament’s Joint Motion for a Resolution on Natural Disasters and the Written Declaration requesting an evaluation of the quality of the operation of "112" back in September, the event seemed timely. So, one can imagine our delight when the Portuguese MEP Paulo Casaca spoke of his own efforts to help launch the European Parliament’s cross party intra-group on Civil Protection, in collaboration with two of his parliamentary colleagues: Vittorio Prodi and Dimitrios Papadimoulis. We at EURespond warmly welcomed his encouragement and are glad to see that a firm caucus of parliamentarians is emerging that takes a sincere interest in the topic.
While the caucus is intent on focusing attention on the work of ex-Commissioner Michel Barnier- the French Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries the author of the Barnier Report on Civil Protection- it very much wants to hear firsthand the concerns of First Responders. EURespond is more than willing to assist in making sure that the voices of Europe’s Emergency Services and Civil Protection planners get a fair hearing at Brussels.
Laurent Francke (ENST-Bretagne) pointed out that a good Emergency Response plan is useless without effective Emergency Communications. Something that all those in the field take as a given but not necessarily those in politics. Mr Casaca made it clear that it is absolutely imperative that the voices of those on the frontline are heard at Brussels. While of course Laurent Francke is completely correct to assert that "Emergency Communications are the main supporting pillar on which everything else rests"; it is still a message that needs to be constantly reiterated in political circles. EURespond certainly intends to become more vocal over the coming months intoning this mantra on the Brussels stage. Satcoms are crucial to linking the administration with the responders and coordinating their efforts in event of disaster. Laurent Francke spoke eloquently on the example provided to us by the explosion at the AZF chemical plant in Toulouse, when the telecommunications networks went down for 5-6 hours and Emergency Responders could not adequately coordinate their response for that entire period.
While every single disaster situation is specific and presents its own unique problems to Emergency Responders, the central place of Emergency Communications to their efforts remains a constant. Communication infrastructure has to be already in place prior to a disaster and it is inefficient if done on an ad hoc basis.
This occurred not because the telephony network was destroyed but because it was saturated. Radio VHF and Satellite were the only communication platforms left working at that time. In extreme cases, the first reports from a disaster scene can be flawed leading to the local administration and institutions passing on incorrect information to both Civil Protection planners and Emergency Responders. Europe’s political class would do well to heed this as an inadequate response can knock 1-3 points off of a country’s GDP. From a purely political standpoint, citizens lose trust in governments if a disaster is perceived as having been mishandled. It was remarked on the day, by one of our guests, that given the increase in both natural and man-made catastrophes across Europe: politicians of the future will ignore the needs of Emergency Responders at their own peril.
Using Satellite communications is of course crucial in linking field units to the rear bases. This is particularly vital during the "scouting" phase. It is also helpful for tracking victims as Dr Michael Weinlich, the Head of European Association of Air Rescue Personnel (EURAMI) stressed. This is increasingly the case given advances in the life span of mobile phone battery packs.
As Laurent Francke (click here for presentation) stated, it is in providing back up communication links for key governmental institutions that Satcoms come into their own and are unrivalled. Satellite communications are perceived by users as having the following benefits: resilience, wide coverage with 3-G, broadband, fixed and mobile systems and are easier from an international regulatory standpoint as Radio spectrum allocation is done on an international basis.
Interoperability of communications equipment is key to success as many of the first responders on the scene are often untrained volunteers. There is simply neither the time nor wherewithal to instruct them how to use complicated technology they are not familiar with in advance of a calamity, such as complicated Software Designed Radio (SDR) sets. Dedicated satellite equipment has of course to be stocked and maintained. Personnel trained. A poor return on initial investment perhaps?
Harald Skinnemoen of AnsuR Technologies and, the WISECOM (Wireless Infrastructure over Satellite for Emergency Communications) project, pointed to developments in Universal Chipset technology for hand-held mobile phones that will ultimately help overcome this issue and greatly facilitate interoperability.
Rudi Smet, the Belgian representative on NATO’s Civil Communications Planning Committee, was eager to discuss the work of the CCPC’s Telecommunications Work Group. It focuses on: Electronic Communication for the Citizen, the needs of First Responders during crises and how to best restore communication capabilities after a disaster. Therefore, it is greatly interested in Satellite communications. Prioritization for Emergency Responders is also something that the CCPC often examines. He recounted how at one of their biannual meetings held last year in Slovakia- where an earthquake in a rural area was dealt with- one of the main problems encountered was how the experts gathered could communicate with the civilians in the area affected.
One the most important issues for NATO is the use of frequencies. Unfortunately, not all countries worldwide have signed up to the Tampere Convention. NATO sometimes encounters difficulties with Customs importing Emergency Communication equipment into disaster zones. A common scenario is that the actual Emergency Responders’ kit is allowed entry but the Communications component is impounded at Customs because the country mandates that certain frequencies cannot be used. Often, NATO depends on amateur radio enthusiasts in the disaster area to set up an ad hoc Emergency Communication network in the first hours following the disaster.
During his own presentation, Harald Skinnemoen noted the synergies between Satellite-based infrastructures for Emergency Communications and Rural Communications. People are often reluctant to build up a specific Emergency Communications Infrastructure, so it is important to note this synergy. As disasters aren’t continually ongoing, it’s good to be able to use the investment for Emergency Communications networks for something else useful, rather than have them sit redundant.
In reference to the WISECOM project, it was remarked that UN research shows there have been 89 natural disasters so far this year alone. Every year, the numbers grows. Billions are lost in societies with poor communication infrastructures. Lives can be saved by the ability to communicate. Satellite based infrastructures are the only reliable answer that will work all the time. More than 2 billion people have access to GSM, so no specialist knowledge is needed. As Harald Skinnemoen stated "Mobile Satellite Service spectrum provides a unique resource for rapidly deployable solutions for Emergency Responders."
To underline the synergies at play here, he spoke of the
Dr Michael Weinlich highlighted that he is the only member of the EU Commission endorsed WISECOM project who is an actual medical practitioner. Precisely the kind of voice that needs to be better heard at Brussels. "One must always bear in mind that while it is important to talk about the wonders of technology, it is more important to appreciate that Emergency Responders are extremely pressed for time and do not necessarily have very thorough technical training" he observed. They have to work under extreme stress. In his view, what politicians, industry and communication experts should really focus upon; is the actual practical needs of the Emergency Responders themselves. Which, sad to say, are sometimes overlooked.
The European Association of Air Rescue Personnel (EURAMI) has dedicated a special Working Group to focusing on cross-border operations in Europe. Both Dr Michael Weinlich and Dr Dieter Nuessler, Head of the Federation of the European Union Fire Officers, acknowledged that even inside the EU this can be difficult. Take the Aachen region for example, an area often held up as a showcase of EU cooperation. While it is entirely practical for German Emergency Responders to respond to disasters in Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and France on an ad hoc basis, the French government for one will not permit German rescue teams to cross the Rhine into French sovereign territory. Does anecdotal evidence from First Responders such as this, reveal the true reality of European cooperation on Civil Protection on the ground?
We heard that during those bona fide pan-European operations that do occur, Emergency Responders from the various participating national services often tend not to call one another because of the language barrier. That is the sad reality. This can, of course, be a purposeful strategy to avoid disseminating misinformation and spreading confusion as everyone involved is aware that they share no common language and realize the risks involved. It is on practicalities such as these that European Parliament’s caucus on Civil Protection needs to concentrate upon. It was encouraging to hear Paulo Casaca MEP take such firsthand testimony seriously during the Q & A and particularly refreshing to observe how willing he was to engage with Dr Dieter Nuessler.
BRASIL project- Broadband Rural America & Integrated Links- that he is also involved with. This particular model is applicable to any rural society. In rural areas simple basic communication is often a real challenge. BRASIL targets e-health, e-education etc. He concluded by saying that he would be attending UN symposium in Geneva run by OCHA (Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) where he was prepared to evangelize on the theme of Satcoms for Emergency Communications and their role in disaster relief. OCHA convenes the symposium every 5 years to focus minds on the best policies and technology available to alleviate natural disasters.
Andreas Hartl, from Austria, related the example of the widespread flooding in western Austria in August 2005, when Emergency Responders had no real way of communicating with the public. Although, communications between First Responders was exemplary throughout the joint operation mounted by the Fire Brigades, Water Rescue Service, Red Cross and military- because the towers for the Mobile PSS network were located high on hilltops- all the mobile networks for civilian use crashed as terrestrial towers were washed away and the power supply failed. Furthermore, fibre cables running along the floor of the flooded valleys broke and landline phones were rendered useless. Integrated terminals that could handle both satellite communication and GSM would have solved this problem.
The 15th October 2007 saw La Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels play host to the EURespond Roundtable discussion on: Emergency Communication provision & the contribution MSS-CGC can make to Civil Protection.
Presentation - Real Case Study: Flood Disaster 2005 Vorarlberg/Austria
