communications<\/a> challenges facing the people who respond\u00a0 when rural Pennsylvanians need help most.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nResearchers found that rural first responders encounter dead zones and unreliable radio, cellular, and broadband coverage that can interfere with communications and access to information in the field. The study also found that different radio frequencies and systems can make it difficult for agencies and neighboring jurisdictions to communicate directly during emergencies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cost creates another significant barrier. Rural departments reported difficulty affording and replacing communications equipment, with individual radios costing upward of\u00a0 $10,000 and some equipment remaining in service for nearly two decades. Researchers found that limited resources can force first responders to improvise and work around communications failures while continuing to serve their communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis research makes clear that reliable connectivity is public safety infrastructure,\u201d said\u00a0 Zachary L. Adams, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. \u201cRural first responders are finding ways to work around dead zones, incompatible systems, and limited resources every day, but ingenuity should not have to substitute for reliable communications. Pennsylvania\u2019s continued investments in connectivity should recognize\u00a0 the particular needs of the people responsible for responding to emergencies in rural\u00a0 communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The report identifies several policy considerations for improving communications and public safety in rural Pennsylvania. These include using available federal broadband\u00a0 funds, if permitted, to support first responder and public safety needs; conducting a\u00a0 statewide assessment of mobile connectivity and existing tower assets; improving\u00a0 communication across agencies through broader adoption of the P25 radio standard\u00a0 without placing transition costs on local departments or counties; reducing the cost of\u00a0 replacing outdated radio equipment; strengthening funding for rural first responders; and\u00a0 making the $1.95 statewide 911 surcharge permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The full report, Broadband Connectivity Among Rural First Responders in Pennsylvania, is available at www.rural.pa.gov\/publications\/research-reports.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
About the Center for Rural Pennsylvania\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency of the\u00a0 Pennsylvania General Assembly. Created in 1987 under the Rural Revitalization Act, the\u00a0 Center serves as a resource for rural policy within the General Assembly and works to\u00a0 promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania\u2019s rural and small communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2014 Center for Rural Pennsylvania<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HARRISBURG, Pa. \u2013 Gaps in broadband, mobile, and radio connectivity continue to create significant challenges for first responders…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281893,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29,7363],"class_list":["post-281892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news","tag-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}