From: "Mark" 


"Robert Comer"  wrote in message
news:431d0be2$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>> The NO police chief said today that when their radios batteries  went
>> dead (don't know what the battery life is on those things, surely no
>> more than 12 hours) they couldn't recharge them.
>
> That's certainly a problem, though I'm not sure it would knock out
> communications altogether.

Lots of thoughts come to mind about that: a) no backup batteries? b) no
generators at the police stations for power for recharging (and ongoing
operations in general)? c) no cigarette lighter charging cords in the
patrol cars?

Frankly, while I still think it prudent to wait until all is said and done
before casting blame, it surely sounds like NO's municipal infrastructure
was not even remotely prepared for anything more than a heavy rainstorm, if
that. That is probably typical, and even reasonable, for a small PD in
"Backwoods, WY - pop. 764" but not for a full-scale city on the
water and situated 6-12 feet below sea level. Especially not after all the
radio problems that were reported after 9/11...

As always, here's hoping that other cities around the country are
re-examining their infrastructures as I type, so some good will come out of
yet another tragedy.

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