The real problem is the diversity in hardware and software from one district or department to the next. I live and breathe this stuff everyday and have given it

The real problem is the diversity in hardware and software from one district or department to the next. I live and breathe this stuff everyday and have given it some serious consideration. I think that it is high time a 911 or emergency protocol was developed. A network level interface standard that would enable data sharing across the board. The other problem is $$$... there isn't much money to spend on this at the municipal level right now. I don't think it will be like this forever, but it is certainly a problem right now. Edit: Another issue is the people making the purchasing decisions on the public safety side do NOT understand technology. The men and women who are Chiefs or Directors were not born into technology. They are "old school" firefighters/paramedics and with that mindset comes a lot of baggage. Most of them are downright scared of technology. This is rapidly changing as the demographics of the fire/ems service are in total flux. Baby boomers are retiring because the job is physically demanding and your body wears out. Newer guys/gals like myself (9 years) embrace tech and are active to find ways to leverage it. I have lots of ideas that I am working on for Android and the fire/ems service, but are mostly related to education, reference, promotional exams and such Ie. one man projects. These big problems are complex beasts that would require me to quit driving a fire engine (sometimes, I can't believe I am actually paid to do that) while improving my programming ability full time to gain employment in the software industry... its a conundrum that I've wrestled with for some time.