The magnitude of the situation and the number of different agencies that were involved created tremendous communication challenges. The level of activity over a large area, the number of different fires and the number of units operating simultaneously overwhelmed most of the radio systems that were in place before the fires. Some of the agencies supplemented their radio systems with cellular telephones and made emergency acquisitions of additional portable radios, but these options were often limited by infrastructure capacity and the operational capabilities of each radio system.
The designs of these systems never contemplated operations of this magnitude and they would not accommodate the demand for communications. The pall of smoke produced by the fires also interrupted microwave links between communication centers and remote transmitter and receiver sites, temporarily disabling major system components, sometimes for several hours at a time.
Interagency communications were even more difficult, as units from different jurisdictions with incompatible radio systems were frequently assigned to the same fires. The few channels normally reserved for mutual aid and interagency communications were quickly overwhelmed. Mutual aid units were often unable to communicate with the local communication centers or with other units operating around them. Numerous instances were reported where units could not be contacted for several hours.
Mutual aid units coming into the area had to be directed to a check-in point where they could be staged or directed to an assignment. Without reliable communications, they could not be redirected, call back for information or request assistance unless they found a unit that did have a functional communications link. Several units reported that they were commandeered or found critical situations and went to work before they could find their check-in location and only reported-in officially several hours late. Some units also found themselves in areas that had been evacuated, because they had no means to maintain an awareness of the overall strategy.
Incompatibility of radio systems between wildland and structural fire fighting units was a particular problem. In many cases the supervisors and field command officers had to find each other and meet face-to-face to coordinate their activities. Safety is seriously compromised when units that are working on the same fire are unable to communicate with each other. This coordination is also extremely important when aircraft are operating in the proximity of units on the ground.
Radio caches brought in by the federal teams were put to good use, although they were limited by the flat terrain until tower sites could be acquired and base station antennae could be erected. With the number of simultaneous operations in close proximity to each other, even these systems proved to be inadequate.
Several mobile command post units were utilized to coordinate operations within limited geographic areas. In many cases the mobile command posts could communicate with units in a limited geographic area and maintain radio or telephone contact with higher level command centers.
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