Emergency Communication: A Long Road Ahead

Emergency communication differs from routine communication; it is deployed only under special circumstances such as when public communication networks lack coverage, encounter sudden traffic surges, or suffer partial damage and lose partial effectiveness. It involves a certain degree of suddenness and complexity, requiring various transmission means and networking methods to provide temporary, effective solutions, serving as an extension, supplement, or self-contained network of the public network to ensure unimpeded communication under special conditions. This demands that emergency communication departments possess rapid response capability, robust support, and sustained operational endurance. Emergency communication is quasi-militarized in nature. Meanwhile, establishing a truly integrated emergency communication network is also essential; currently, China has not yet established a unified nationwide emergency communication network.

The emergency communication vehicle fleet consists of integrated communication vehicles and various command operation vehicles. It undertakes communication support for exercises and major events, as well as emergency communication tasks for sudden incidents. Integrating five major systems—wired, wireless, video imaging, computer networking, and dynamic monitoring—it forms a command and dispatch system equipped with multiple means including automatic telephony, secure fax, video command, and multimedia dispatch, ensuring command communication is available at all times, in all places, amid interference, and on the move, greatly enhancing the combat capability of the military region.

Profitability has become the primary objective of telecommunications operators, especially as market competition intensifies and companies go public one after another, forcing enterprises to strengthen cost management when facing performance indicator assessments. The unique nature of emergency communication dictates that it can hardly generate direct economic benefits for enterprises, yet manpower and financial resources must be invested in routine maintenance of emergency equipment. At present, telecommunications operators are the de facto implementers of emergency communication support work; in reality, a truly independent emergency network should be established, one that should not be assessed by profitability criteria, because in the face of disasters, some profits are simply negligible.

In past disaster relief efforts, major social events, and sudden public incidents, emergency communication often goes unnoticed by the public compared to the grand scenes unfolding. It often plays a decisive role as the nerve center in directing disaster relief, major social events, and sudden public incidents, yet receives little attention afterward. Therefore, the emergency network should not be considered for construction only when it is needed; rather, it should be planned with foresight well in advance.