The Project 25 Technology Interest Group (PTIG) is pleased to publish a case study on P25 Interoperability during Brush Fires in the State of Connecticut. Thanks to Scott Wright, Deputy SWIC from the State of Connecticut, for sharing this paper.

The full story can be downloaded using the link below. 

Connecticut Brushfire P25 Interoperability Case Study

State of Connecticut Statewide Brush Fires 2024:

P25 Interoperability Success

State Regional Coordinator: “One of the biggest challenges during large-scale incidents involving numerous agencies is maintaining clear, consistent communication. However, due to years of strategic pre- planning by the engineers at CTS, we were able to bypass this common obstacle, resulting in outstanding coordination and response efforts.”

“During the brush fire event(s), we were able to work seamlessly with partners from multiple jurisdictions, including out-of-state and even international resources”.

Starting in October, 2024, unprecedented brush fires broke out throughout the state. The response included units from throughout the United States as well as internationally.

Tragically, one firefighter lost his life.

Coordinating this large response over a large area required the use of the trunked radio system. The system supports multiple manufacturers subscriber units. During these incidents, subscribers from at least four different P25 manufacturers were utilized- seamlessly. Learning from other incidents, the State developed and requires the implementation of an “interoperability template” in each and every subscriber unit on the system. These common sets of channels and talkgroups permit interoperability on the fly without the need for reprogramming at an incident.