NCJ Number
211543
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 53 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2005 Pages: 31,32,34
Date Published
September 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article briefly discusses the City of Hermiston in Oregon and its police department’s accessibility to advanced technology communication, equipment, and data networks in the case of an accidental chemical release from the nearby Umatilla Chemical Depot (UCD).
Abstract
Hermiston, OR is one of the larger cities in the rural region of Eastern Oregon and is served by a police department of 23 police officers. Hermiston is a base for one of the more technologically innovative public safety communication and data networks in the country. The catalyst behind this and increased public safety funding and activity is the Umatilla Chemical Depot (UCD), a United States Army installation that stores about 3,700 tons of chemical warfare weapons which are intended to be destroyed and disposed of. The capabilities and benefits of the WiFi network which allows officers in Hermiston to access data and communicate are discussed in case of a chemical release at UCD. In addition, the WiFi network offers traffic control capabilities. WiFi may be a better solution, as it uses hardware that is widely standardized and more easily configured for the intended purpose.