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<br />61 <br /> <br />communications, and emergency operations centers are thrown into chaos <br />Several fall-back schemes are being explored, but this is a major challenge <br /> <br />Wilson <br /> <br />for the future. <br />Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites allow very accurate location <br />and tracking. GPS receivers can be incorporated within portable two-way <br />radio equipment to send continuously updated location information to central <br />dispatch. Global communications out of disaster areas can be obtained by <br />using satellite receiver terminals in briefcase size units for voice, data, and <br />fax message exchange at moderate cost. <br />Adjacent jurisdictions do not always have compatible radio equipment. <br />Mutual aid efforts are seriously hampered when different agencies bring radio <br />equipment that cannot intercommunicate. For example, in the Denver metro <br />area alone, different agencies use Low Band VHF, High Band VHF, UHF, <br />and 800 MHz trunked systems. As long as the separate emergency operations <br />centers or mobile command posts can relay messages through the phone <br />system or over liaison radios, the system can work, but often without <br />efficiency. <br />The Emergency Broadcast System is being replaced with the Emergency <br />Alert System to take into account non-standard broadcasting media, such as <br />closed circuit music channels. The new system will attempt to deal with the <br />problem of unattended broadcast stations, but the costs to smaller local <br />stations of converting will be a major challenge to making the Emergency <br />Alert System universal and dependable. <br />Enhanced color Doppler radar, wind profiler systems, and expanded <br />networks of remote rain gauges are improving the ability of the National <br />Weather Service to track weather. Still, human observers, including trained <br />volunteer observers-particularly amateur radio SKYW ARN teams-continue <br />to be critical to local storm tracking and warning. This is particularly true <br />regarding fast-developing phenomena such as tornadoes, severe hail, <br />microbursts, and flash flooding. <br />The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is making dramatic <br />improvements in the national weather radio alerting system through the use <br />of digital technology to pinpoint weather warnings to specific city blocks or <br />county sectors, which will likely coincide with the U.S. Postal Service's nine- <br />digit zip code map. <br />Direct Broadcast Satellites on the Ku-Band provide direct signals for paid <br />subscribers through the use of 18" to 24" dish antennas. Access to well over <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />[ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />t <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />100 channels is common. Although federal regulations require that state and <br />local emergency operations centers have the ability to directly send public <br />warning messages over cable TV systems and local broadcast stations, there <br /> <br />. <br />