A generation has passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but Americans old enough to remember them – who include many of today’s law enforcement leaders – certainly recall their biggest lesson: interoperable communications. In New York City that day, police and firefighters responding to the World Trade Center couldn’t communicate effectively with each other, and the consequences were deadly.
It was a different technological era to be sure – radios were all they had, and contributors to the tragedy included different radio systems (VHF for fire, UHF for police) with limited cross-agency interoperability, in-building coverage and repeater issues, and overwhelmed tactical channels.
Many firefighters didn’t hear police evacuation warnings when collapse appeared imminent, and the result was 343 killed when the North Tower collapsed. Conversely, police largely got out, and NYPD and Port Authority police lost just 60 officers combined. The day provided emergency responders and all Americans a brutal illustration of the potential cost of communications failures during major events.
Afterward, interoperability – ensuring emergency personnel could talk to each other across their various platforms on complex scenes – became an urgent national priority. And over the next quarter century, big improvements occurred. Grants and other federal funding helped build interoperable systems, cities moved to regional radio networks, and common standards and protocols helped get and keep responders on the same page.
Today NYPD and FDNY have shared channels for joint operations, and FDNY has radios that work better in tall buildings. Joint training emphasizes communication, and the city’s emergency operations center functions as a hub for multiagency communication across the emergency services. Beyond New York City, radios are largely Project 25-compliant, mutual aid channels are shared, and many metropolitan areas have built shared trunked radio systems, where multiple agencies subscribe to the same network.
Communication moves beyond radio
At the same time, technology has surged forward, and for the emergency services today, exchanging information is a matter of much more than radios. Those are still a cornerstone, but police can also:
- Wield smartphones, tablets and mobile data terminals.
- Use texting and group messaging and encrypted push-to-talk apps.
- Stream from body-worn and in-car cameras and drones.
- Communicate via social media.
- Benefit from texts and image-sharing and location data via next-generation 911.
- Share data through networks like ALPR systems and the Internet of Things.
That’s all brought great convenience and improved situational awareness but also new vulnerabilities and security requirements.
“For many years, communications just meant radio,” said Kerry Wicks, senior account manager at Zebra Technologies and a former sheriff’s deputy in North Carolina. “When we talk about communications today, there’s more to it – it’s voice over radio, it’s voice over phone, it’s message communications, it’s data communications. So it’s a much broader spectrum.
“The challenge comes with the security of information and ensuring the devices being used are properly secured. Many agencies are now providing multiple devices – radios, cell phones, handheld devices for data communication, laptops. There are just a multitude of these devices, and it’s critical to ensure each one is not only secure in itself but is also set up with the proper security for communication protocols such as using virtual private networks, two-factor authentication and other things that are required, particularly as they start to exchange data that’s critically important.”
Zebra puts a holistic emphasis on critical communication that starts with devices and facilitates systems and practices that let first responders reliably connect, share data, coordinate and act under urgent, high-stakes conditions.
The components of critical communications
For police and other emergency personnel, critical communications encompass several vital components:
- Reliability: Devices and networks must work even in harsh and hostile environments. Responders require rugged hardware, durable connections and backup options.
- Real-time information sharing: Voice, video, data, location, etc., must be shared without delay so decision-makers and field teams can work from the same operating picture.
- Secure communications: Data and communication channels must be protected against interception, tampering and failure.
- Operational coordination: Systems need tools that facilitate coordination and collaboration among frontline teams, command centers, support units and others.
- High availability/“always on”: Delays and downtime are minimized.
Much of that rests on the devices – handhelds, tablets, etc. – issued to or used by officers. Zebra’s rugged handhelds and tablets are purpose-built devices that minimize downtime and ensure functionality in critical moments.
Its main handhelds for law enforcement, the TC5X and TC7X series, feature designs that are sealed and drop-rated. Models are PIN/password-protected, and Zebra’s Identity Guardian software can add facial biometric protection, multifactor authentication and single sign-on for shared and assigned devices.
Both series include a FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic module, certifying them for high-level protection of sensitive information. The built-in RxLogger centralizes device, radio, system and crash logs for diagnostics and auditing.
Devices are trackable if lost or stolen and feature LifeGuard for Android, an enterprise-grade security lifecycle solution that ensures long-term OS and security update support. They can work with Zebra’s Workstation Connect to provide a managed desktop experience when docked, reducing reliance on unmanaged PCs. TC5X models work on Wi-Fi 6 and cellular variants, the latter FirstNet-ready; the TC7X family supports Wi-Fi 6E with 5G and CBRS options.
“With our handhelds, we’re an enterprise Android development shop in conjunction with Google, and the Google Android operating system is highly secure,” said Wicks. “Then our developers provide an additional layer where we help with device management, security patches and a variety of other things that are much more specific to an enterprise version of Android than a standard device you’d purchase for everyday activities.”
While these handhelds aren’t radios, they can be configured to perform the job. Apps can provide the function of secure, broadband walkie-talkies. They are easily connected to FirstNet, the nationwide public safety LTE/5G network, to ensure priority, preemption and encryptable voice/data across agencies. And police, fire and EMS can be in the same talk groups by using PTT-over-cellular apps, even from different networks or devices.
Police radios can also be patched into broadband PTT systems using interoperable radio gateways, allowing users of Zebra devices to talk directly to colleagues on traditional P25 radio, and officers can securely share text, photos and videos, and location data through apps that provide cross-agency channels. TC5X and TC7X devices also support popular Android-based ICS and tactical mapping platforms.
The same measures generally apply to Zebra’s ET4x, ET6x and ET8x lines of tablet computers. In all cases, users should embrace end-to-end encryption for sensitive voice and data wherever supported, align on approved PTT apps and channels for multiagency use, and harden devices with mobile device management, VPN and strong authentication.
Software and support
Much of what responders require for secure critical communication is a function of their software. Zebra has a few key products that contribute.
Workcloud Communication is a suite of communication tools (push-to-talk, messaging, voice, etc.) that enable real-time voice and group communication over cellular/Wi-Fi. It can be used to create talk groups for police, fire and EMS to collaborate in the field and exchange text, alerts and images.
Part of this suite, PTT Pro, PTT Express and PTT Voice Client provide PTT capabilities that support multisite voice communication. Identity Guardian brings facial biometrics to device security and ensures users are properly authorized. Some software modules include location tracking and data sharing for situational awareness. All products are designed for reliability, secure data exchange and that “always on” connectivity.
A final component is device management tools to simplify and expedite the maintenance and upgrades essential to optimized operations in challenging conditions.
“The Android operating system is made for an enterprise environment, but the support is also important,” noted Wicks. “The ongoing security patches and other things that are available from Zebra really differentiate us from anyone else in the industry. We keep a keen focus on how we can improve security and help the end users have that peace of mind that they’re getting a device that’s as secure as possible.
“We provide tools to help you manage when updates get pushed out, and then also, if Android reaches a point where they’re no longer supporting the version you’re using, as long as you maintain a service contract on your device, Zebra will continue to provide security patches for that device until it reaches end of life or the end of your contract. So those are differentiators for us that are very specific to those security patches. It’s critically important that we keep the device secure.”
Zebra offers additional guidance on security best practices here. For more information, visit Zebra.
