National Infrastructure Contingencies: Survey of Wireless Technology Support

In modern society, the flow of information has become the lifeblood of commerce and social interaction. This movement of data supports most aspects of the United States economy in particular, as well as, serving as the vehicle upon which governmental agencies react to social conditions. In addition, it is understood that the continuance of efficient and reliable data communications during times of national or regional disaster remains a priority in the United States. The coordination of emergency response and area revitalization / rehabilitation efforts between local, state, and federal emergency response is increasingly necessary as agencies strive to work more seamlessly between the affected organizations. Additionally, international support is often made available to react to such adverse conditions as wildfire suppression scenarios and therefore require the efficient management of workforce and associated logistics support. Various governmental and civilian organizations have been formed to serve as intermediaries for data communications during disaster response scenarios in an effort to streamline command and control channels for information. The preeminent disaster response agency in the United States federal government, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has filed the " Fiscal Year, 2000 Disaster Activity Overview " report on major national disasters resulting primarily from extreme weather conditions and geographic occurrences [FEMA, 2000]. In addition, the need for wildfire suppression in various states resulted in declarations of emergency throughout the reported year. Various methods of supporting data transactions are available for use during nominal life activities in most communities such as terrestrial and extra-terrestrial based communication channels. However, during most emergencies, terrestrial connectivity is lost or diminished as a result of the occurrence and on occasion, the act of recovery from the occurrence. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the technological horizon to discover those technologies best suited to support during times of infrastructure contingencies. In addition to the examination of available technologies for use during emergency response and recovery operations, an investigation into methods of ensuring the integrity of transmitted data between parties must be undertaken. As the reliance upon wireless and other extra-terrestrial means of data communication increases as a result of disaster conditions, the accessibility of unauthorized persons to transmitted data increases as the data uses the environment as the transfer medium. The susceptibility of the data to interference and unauthorized monitoring causes concern from agencies managing such needed response and recovery actions as law enforcement and security, health and welfare, infrastructure …