Radio Study Follows Bridge Collapse Disaster

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has released a 78-page report into how the ARMER radio system performed during the Aug. 2007 Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. At its peak, there were 16,000 radios from 170 agencies being used on the system, installed by Motorola. The report, conducted by consulting firm Geocomm, included analysis of system operational statistics, interviews and focus groups. According to the report, 96% of the system’s users believed the system worked well during the incident. The system is now in the planning stages for a state-wide roll-out, with completion in 2012. Download (pdf) the full report, including an interesting discussion of talkgroup priorities, here.