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Commentary Newsletters


Homage to the truly unsung

Homage to the truly unsung

A reader suggested that the people who install the communications systems that public-safety professionals rely upon are the truly unsung heroes.
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 12th March 2009

I drove to Toronto last weekend for the World Baseball Classic, a roundtrip of about a thousand miles. It was during the long, dreary sojourn through western Ontario that I got the idea for this column.

I’ve always liked car trips, as they afford an opportunity to see the continent in a way that can’t be replicated at 30,000 feet. On this trip, I saw the biggest radio towers I’ve ever seen. There was a time in my life, before I got involved in this publication, when I would have scarcely noticed a communications tower. I would have noticed these — that’s how big they were.

I started to think about the people who have to climb those monsters to install and repair equipment. And that got me thinking about a response I recently received from a reader.

I had written a story for our web site on the need to motivate 911 communications center dispatchers and call-takers. (An expanded article on this topic appears in the March print edition.) In this story, I quoted a 911 communications center manager who called dispatchers and call-takers “unsung heroes.”

In response, the reader suggested that the people who install the communications systems that public-safety professionals rely upon are the truly unsung heroes. Engineers whose intelligence dwarfs that of the common man determine the type of system that needs to be installed based on myriad geographical/topographical factors and how such systems should be deployed to maximize their effectiveness. Field technicians often work in harsh conditions and in rugged environments. Many of them also put their lives at risk, just like the first responders they serve, by climbing high into the sky to deploy and maintain these vital systems.

But how often does the public think of that? Not often, I fear. Indeed, I believe it would be safe to say that most of the general population isn’t even aware that these people exist. I would bet that the only time first responders think about radio engineers and technicians is when something goes wrong. That’s only human nature.

Nevertheless, this is ironic, because the ability of police, fire and emergency medical professionals to serve and protect can depend on how well their communications systems and equipment work. When they don’t work well, lives often are lost — sometimes their own.

So, to those who ensure that these crucial communications systems perform at a high level, I offer a long overdue and a well-deserved word of thanks. And if you’re attending IWCE in Las Vegas next week, stop by our booth (1433). We’d love to meet you and hear your stories.

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What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.

Tags: Commentary Newsletters Networks & Systems Commentary

Most Recent


  • Updated: How 'sidelink' peer-to-peer communications can enhance public-safety operations
    Editor’s note: A previous version of this column was posted that included only the first portion of the article—a mistake by the editor. IWCE’s Urgent Communications regrets the error and apologizes for any inconvenience. When first responders are called to action, they need reliable communications to coordinate an effective public-safety response. Public-safety personnel understand this […]
  • NG911 needed to secure our communities and nation
    As the new Congress begins its work in earnest, we look forward to continued progress in funding the transition to IP-based next-generation 911 (NG911) technology. Our nation’s 911 systems are critical to ensuring the safety and security of our communities, and nationwide implementation of NG911 will ensure these systems can leverage the most advanced communications […]
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  • 3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024
    The latest set of 3GPP Plenary electronic meetings (e-meetings) concluded on Dec. 19, 2022. The meetings focused on the Release 18 (R18) feature progress and schedule. It was decided to extend the R18 freeze date (specifications complete for all R18 features) by three months to March 2024 to ensure the quality of the R18 3GPP […]

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