Police links at risk in crisis

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ( DURING AN ATTACK) IS YOU WOULD ANTICIPATE EVERYONE WOULD BE ON THE PUBLIC ( MOBILE) NETWORK AND IT WOULD CRASH MARK BURGESS

POLICE have issued a shock warning calling into question how they would be able to respond during a mass terror attack.

The Police Federation of Australia, which speaks for officers from every state and territory, says Australia’s mobile network would likely melt down during a Manchester or London- style attack, leaving officers in the field unable to properly communicate with their commands.

The federation’s chief executive officer, Mark Burgess, has accused the Federal Government of dragging its heels on dedicated mobile broadband for emergency service workers that would allow them to send and receive lifesaving information during such an event.

Despite the Commonwealth promising technology to help in the fight against terror, Mr Burgess said there was no guarantee emergency service workers could send or receive photos of attackers or live helicopter vision during an unfolding attack without a dedicated network.

He said people already experienced delays in texts and data use during events like concerts and New Year’s Eve.

“What would happen ( during an attack) is you would anticipate everyone would be on the public ( mobile) network and it would crash,” Mr Burgess said.

“It’s bad enough for the individual who is trying to contact loved ones, but imagine ( the) public safety ( worker) who is trying to save … lives and catch those offenders.

“The thing that really worries me is that it will almost need something like a Manchester or a London to happen for people to realise that we should have … done something about this a lot earlier.”

The Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council also called for action following a Productivity Commission review of the issue last year that recommended the Commonwealth work with telcos to roll out a national service by 2020, at an estimated cost of $ 2.2 billion.

It noted communications equipment had already failed during Queensland’s 2011 floods and Victoria’s Black Saturday fires.

A spokeswoman for Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said there were “constructive discussions” taking place with state and territory governments on giving emergency services prioritised access to a broadband spectrum.