Thursday, November 17, 2011

Cell Phones Disrupt Some Fire, Police Radios

JONATHAN D. SALANT, Editoral Staff - Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The proliferation of cell phones is having potentially dangerous consequences for firefighters and police officers, who in some places can't use their radios to call for help because of interference from cell signals.
The Boston suburb of Cambridge, Mass., is one of those areas. Last fall, an officer responding to a fight at an apartment had to walk to the other side of the high-rise to call for backup. Another time, an officer responding to a burglar alarm couldn't call for help as he approached the building.

In both incidents, the delays didn't cause any major problems for officers. But the potential is there, said Cambridge Fire Chief Gerald Reardon, who oversees the city's entire public safety radio system.

``If equipment needs to be repaired or upgraded, we have no problem doing that,'' he said. ``This is beyond our control. It's a worry.''

Ernest Mitchell, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, was more pessimistic.

``Thankfully, no one has died,'' said Mitchell, who is fire chief in Pasadena, Calif. ``But it's only a matter of time.''
Read more about how cell phones disrupt police, fire signals here.

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