Regular Comprehensive Regional Training and Exercises

Optimal interoperability involves equipment familiarization and an introduction to regional/state interoperability at time of hire (or in an academy setting). Success will be assured by regular, comprehensive, and realistic exercises that address potential problems in the region and involve the participation of all personnel. Despite the best planning and technology preparations, there is always the risk of the unexpected -- those critical and unprecedented incidents that require an expert at the helm who can immediately adapt to the situation. Within the Incident Command System (ICS), these specialists are called Communications Unit Leaders. The role of the Communications Unit Leader is a critical function that requires adequate training and cannot be delegated to an individual simply because that person "knows about radios." Rather, the proper training of these individuals is of significant importance to a region's ability to respond to unexpected events, and it should prepare them to manage the communications component of larger interoperability incidents, applying the available technical solutions to the specific operational environment of the event.

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