National Emergency Communication Plan Research Paper

National Emergency Communication Plan - Research Paper Example Emergency communications is highly depended on by many agencies in United States (Safecom Program, Online). NECP was established by US department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communication. It was created due to lack of cooperation among the communication systems used by the nation’s first responders. Coordination in terms of passing information was crucial to enhance fire fighting, law enforcement, rescue, and other emergencies. Evidence of lack of proper coordination among systems was witnessed through the occurrence of attacks in the Pentagon, World Trade Centre in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina. NECP aims to provide up to date modes of communication to enhance response to emergency calls. The plan suggests reasonable goals for the federal, state, local, as well as tribal authorities to be achieved by 2013. It does not interfere with the distribution of funds by the Department of Homeland security (Department of Homeland Security, Online). NECP, being the first strategic plan, majorly aims to improve emergency response communications. It also works hand in hand with Homeland securities in its legislations. During the year 2010, it planned to achieve quick response emergency communication within one hour in high risk urban areas. In 2011, it aimed at achieving high level response emergency communication in low risk urban areas. By 2013, it aims to thrust all authorities to demonstrate response-level emergency communications within 3 hours in case of a major event a specified in nation’s planning scenarios (Walker 5). Land mobile radio and related public safety control systems have been put in place to ensure the quality and continuity of communications systems. Principles of chain and unity of command, unified command (for multi- agency incidents), and standardised span of control have also been put in place to clearly explain duties and responsibilities of responders. Shared laws and regulations have been structured to