Public Safety Gets A High-Tech Boost In Emergency Hub

Cmdr. John Crawford, the head of the center, said the digital radio system is "truly state of the art." It will allow county officials to communicate directly with other jurisdictions.

"Our radios don't talk to each other at the moment," Crawford said.

Mark Marshall, chief of police in Smithfield, Va., and a vice president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said that many people think that police districts can talk with one another by radio but that most districts cannot.

"It's very surprising, and frankly distressing, when the public finds out that our radio systems have difficulty talking with one another and difficulty sharing information," Marshall said.

The problem, Marshall said, is the limited number of radio bands available. He said many have been "gobbled up" by cellphone usage. Digital systems eliminate the bandwidth issue, he said.

Many police districts can't raise the money to build an emergency center. As the home of the Pentagon, Arlington had an easier time.

"Every agency would like to have a big emergency response center," said Wendy Balazik, a spokeswoman for the Alexandria-based international police chiefs' association. "But with the cuts in federal funding for law enforcement, it's really hard for every agency to have this sort of technology."

Griffin said the digital radio system will allow Arlington to work more closely with the Pentagon during emergencies. County officials previously didn't have "the technology, the ability to share information," he said.

In the middle of the facility's "nerve center," or control room, the center leaf of a large conference table rises, revealing 12 bays for laptop computers or telephones.

"This room provides us with the ability to access a lot of information very quickly," said Jeffrey Horwitz, the center's 911 system and resource manager. "During an emergency, the last thing you want to do is set up stuff."

The center also has a kitchen that includes a commercial range and a large refrigerator.

"If there was a long-term catastrophe, the center can be self-sufficient for many days," program manager John Stevens said.

The number of 911 lines coming into the center has tripled to 48, he said. Arlington answers calls within 10 seconds, but the additional lines are expected to bring even faster response.

"In an emergency, every second counts," Stevens said. "Even shaving a second off is important."

Griffin said Arlington's 200,000 residents often don't realize how much work goes into keeping the county safe. Which, he added, is the way it should be.

"Arlington is a busy little place," he said. "But it's like a duck going along the water. It's all smooth going, but we're paddling like crazy under the surface."