No one is really sure how interoperable public safety wireless communications systems are with one another. The DHS intends to do a survey on the topic, with results available by next year. In the meantime, the GAO suggests that the federal government develop national requirements and a national architecture for such systems, create nationwide databases, and provide financial and technical support to states and localities to help them make their systems interoperable. For their part, states should establish bodies to develop interoperability improvement plans.Gao041057t_FirstResponders1004.pdf