Emergency Response Team Available for Inauguration Law Enforcement Support
(Get Ready for Civil Unrest with Super-Charged Communications)
“To go forward at all is to go forward together.” – Richard Nixon in his inauguration speech, 1969
Inauguration Day isn’t always marked by unity.
Inauguration Day 2021 will more likely be remembered as a day of civil unrest.
Civil unrest isn’t always meant as a direct challenge to law enforcement. Its target is often political change. But civil unrest can be planned for by law enforcement, hospitals, emergency management and public agencies.
One way to be ready for civil unrest is to engage with an emergency response team (ERT) to boost interoperable communications. This is what the Troy, New York, Police Department did when faced with Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. They brought in the Mutualink Emergency Response Team. The ERT supported their communications efforts, with bridged radio comms and shared drone video (provided by MTI Drones) to surveil the crowd. The ERT also provided a GoKit for interoperable communications in the field. The game-changer was real-time sharing of the feed from the video on the drone to remote locations.
This is a quick guide to consideration for planning for complex communications during these incidents:
- Group movements require surveillance to identify potential threats that may get out of control
- Identify potential mutual aid partners and ensure in advance the ability to interoperate via voice, text and video
- Learn from others: look at incidents in which true interoperable communications were achieved
- Get guidance from the experts: bring in technical support from technology providers if needed
Go forward togeter with your team. Together with partner agencies. Together with optimal communications to keep your community safe during the inauguration this year.
