Will you be safe at Eugene 08?
EUGENE, Ore. - Visitors are flocking into Lane County by the thousands in anticipation of Friday's start of the Olympic Trials. In response, local law enforcement agencies are gearing up for any possibility.
First responders want to be ready for just about anything. So if a disaster happened during the trials, clear communication between the police, firefighters and paramedics would be key in saving your life.
This dispatch center for first responders is like air traffic control for pilots.
Emergency calls come in, operators answer and information is passed to emergency crews so they can quickly help in a life threatening situation.
But there can be problems with this system.
"We would have groups of agencies that couldn't talk to each other. We would have the Oregon State Police who could talk to each other, but not talk to us and they're here to help us," said Eugene Police Communications Manager Kristi Wilde.
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Because of the enormous turnout expected for the Olympic Trials, all first responders will be joining forces with the help of an upgraded regional radio system.
This means more emergency crews will be able to communicate with each other if responding to crisis like bomb threats and unruly protests.
"In 9-11 for example, there was a problem with a potential building collapse. Law enforcement knew about it, but the fire side didn't," said Wilde.
The Department of Defense is loaning radio equipment so that when you need it most, your call for help wont get lost in translation.
If there was a riot out at Hayward field, would all emergency responders be prepared to communicate with each other?
"Absolutely. One of the things that we recognize in public safety is that we need to work together across agencies," said Wilde.
Officials said the Oregon National Guard will also be on standby to help if they are needed.
