NIK Criticizes Lack of a Digital Radio Communications System for Polish Emergency Services
According to NIK, without the implementation of modern digital radio communications system (for example like TETRA), opportunities for improved coordination and cooperation amongst the emergency service will be limited.
The Supreme Audit Office in Poland (NIK) recently has published a report related to the functioning of emergency rescue operations in Poland.
According to NIK anxiety raises on travel time of ambulance services from their base location to the place of accident. One of the key issues is the inefficient exchange of information amongst the different services. Currently in Poland there is still no nationwide digital radio communication system for the emergency services in place, which would, for example, enable efficient communication and coordination.
NIK points out that a nationwide, uniform system of information exchange and coordination of rescue services on motorways has not been established and, as a result of that, locally-based solutions have yet to fulfill their role. The challenge now is that these fragmented solutions may be insufficient for events that require or will involve significant forces and resources.
Although eight regions in Poland have implemented solutions that were created to exchange information and coordinate activities between rescue services, however there is still no one nationwide digital radio communication system for emergency services, which would, for example, enable efficient coordination of large actions on the border of these regions.
Currently, units of the national rescue and firefighting department, the National Rescue Service and the Police are able to get in touch with each other, only at the scene of the incident. In other cases, for example, while traveling, but sometimes also at the incident scene, they communicate indirectly - through their dispatchers.
Authorized entities could also use the radio network of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (analogue channel B112). However, communication with B112 prevents efficient exchange of information between multiple callers, which may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the operations.
According to NIK, without the implementation of modern digital radio communications system (for example like TETRA), opportunities for improved coordination and cooperation amongst the emergency service will be limited. The report mentions the creation of the Interdepartmental Team for the National Digital Radio Communication System.
