Project MESA Prepares the Best for the Worst

• NCJ Number: 205199
• Journal: Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 31 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 68,70,72
• Author(s): Rick Rotondo
• Date Published: April 2004
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article profiles Project MESA (Mobility for Emergency and Safety Applications) -- a partnership between the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the U.S.-based Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) -- which is an example of broadband networking for tactical emergency systems.

Abstract

Project MESA, which is named after the city where it originated (Mesa, AZ), is working to implement advanced digital services based on a high bit-ratio mobile platform (more than 2 Mbps). The project is addressing the differing requirements of various public-protection and disaster-relief agencies and how they can be met in an emergency network that gives instant connectivity to first responders, regardless of the availability or condition of the existing radio network. Project MESA proposes that all mobile and portable radios have ad hoc networking capabilities that allow the creation of instant networks among users without the assistance of existing infrastructure. The project envisions that as paramedics, hazmat teams, firefighters, and law enforcement officers would arrive on a disaster scene, each would join the ad hoc broadband wireless network. Every unit would have the potential to act as a source for data. Some or all of the radios would have position-location capability, so that situational awareness could be improved with location-informed applications and digital incident command boards. Such criteria for an effective broadband wireless network are extensive and push the state of the art of what is currently available; however, elements of the project's vision are being developed and tested by various commercial and government groups. This article describes a few of the activities and technologies that make MESA's vision feasible, including new radio technologies, the development and deployment of mobile ad hoc networking echnology, and new GPS technologies.