RAKEL boss Nils Svartz: - More co-operation across national borders with nationwide network
By Arild Vollan
- I look forward to the time not far ahead when the public safety network in Sweden will be able to communicate with its neighbouring countries. We shall have better co-ordination and co-operation among all parties involved, also across national borders. In addition a common public safety network of nationwide coverage will make everyday work easier for the emergency crews. New digital communication systems will create a safer and more secure society - for all of us wherever we are.
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| Nils Svartz, Head of RAKEL |
The rollout started in Sweden in June 2005. The first area to be covered (Skåne, Blekinge, Kalmar) will be tested until after the summer of 2006. The communications network replaces more than 200 different analogue systems, which are currently used by the emergency and preparedness agencies.
- A common technical standard, TETRA, for all the Nordic networks will make it fairly straightforward to link up all the Nordic networks says Nils Svartz. Meetings were held last week in Stockholm with the Norwegian Public Safety Network Project.
It is important to take note of the experience gained in Sweden. They are more than a year ahead of Norway in their rollout, says Tor Helge Lyngstøl, Project Director, of the Norwegian project. He cites the fact that phase three in Sweden, the rollout in Halland and Västra Götaland, will coincide with the first stage of the Norwegian rollout.
Cross-border cooperation between Sweden and Norway
- This gives us an excellent opportunity for coordinating the rollout in Østfold with the third phase rollout in Sweden. It will facilitate a rewarding cross-border cooperation between these countries, says Tor Helge Lyngstøl.
Nils Svartz, head of RAKEL, mentions the fact that for several years there has been good contact between the Norwegian Public Safety Network Project and Swedish authorities.
- Also in Sweden we have over a ten-year period been involved in making reports and evaluations and holding negotiations, and it is quite clear that now, in the course of the actual rollout, we have much to gain from each other. In Sweden we have already gained experience in using the existing infrastructure, in setting up base stations, in training, talk groups, encryption, number schedules ...The list of important matters on which a central public safety network unit has to decide is long, says Nils Svartz. He emphasises that it is essential to have the necessary expertise in a central operative organisation, which is in a position to control all aspects of the rollout.
In the course of the last year the Swedish Emergency Management Agency, has spent large resources on marketing and issuing information about the rollout in Sweden. Initially the network is to be used by the police, the fire services, the health sector, the defence, and by emergency management at local, regional and central levels - as well as by the customs authorities, the Swedish Radiation Protection Agency (Sveriges Strålskyddsinstitut), the Coast Guard and the Crime Prevention and Detection services.
New users after the chaos in connetion with the gale Gudrun
- It is our aim that a common network of nationwide coverage shall facilitate better cooperation among all who have responsibilities associated with safety and security and emergency preparedness, says Nils Svartz. He points out that the Swedish authorities now want to include a number of new users: “also if they have responsibilities in their everyday work other than protection, prevention and security”.
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| From Sundsvall - Photo: Thord Eriksson |
- The gale Gudrun has now made it far easier to be met with understanding for the work involved as regards public safety. Major efforts are now under way to develop the emergency preparedness in local authorities. Our new public safety network is going to be an important tool for the work by the central administration, the regional administration and the local authorities, in their day-to-day work as well as in an emergency situations, concludes Nils Svartz.
Read more on the RAKEL webisite. Here you will find general information about the user organizations, planned development and roll out and about preparations for user accession.
Published 06.05.2006 Last update 05.09.2006
