Date:

May 20, 2007

For More Information Contact:

Officer Katherine Finnell, Public Information Office , 402.441.7226

The Lincoln Police Department, along with other city/county departments and services will be participating in a Tactical Interoperability Communications Plan Validation Exercise on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007 between 4:30 and 7:30 P.M., at Star City Shores, 27th & Highway 2. These agencies will be participating in this full scale – limited disaster exercise to demonstrate our communications ability should a major event strike the Lincoln area.

Challenges in communications were highlighted during 9/11 in New York City with many different agencies and communications equipment which did not allow them to coordinate their response efficiently. Department of Homeland Security funds have been made available to help cities with communications. In order to obtain these funds in the future, cities throughout the country will be required to have emergency communications plans and participate in these interoperability exercises. The Lincoln Police Department is a frontrunner in the state in creating our plan. Consultants from FEMA and NEMA will be present. They have helped with the planning and will be part of the evaluation team that observes and evaluates the exercise.