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It was a different problem here. The NYPD had radios, the FDNY had radios, but the systems were incompatible and couldn't communicate.

How's that Rudi's fault?

I remember this little factiod being bandied. It doesn't wash. Fire and police regularly communicate....they must....for the daily, run o' the mill emergencies. It sounds like a warped interpretation of actual facts. Where have you seen this published in an official document??

The systems may be incompatable, but there are links at communication centers between the two....either human dispatchers, or electronic links. That the two departments operate on different frequencies is the usual thing. No communication is possible between the two but for central dispatch....in my large city, anyway. It wasn't an oversight, I think.....just the way things are always set up. If the main antenna was down (likely on the WTC), the two departments were cut off. Who could have forseen that?

Surmise based upon actual experience in a patrol car, working fires with a walkie, and spending a couple years in a unified fire/police 911 dispatch center. I reserve the right to be incorrect.

You raise fair questions about whether there was a screwup with police-fire communications and, if so, whether it was Rudy's fault. Unfortunately, I've already spent too much time on this thread. (I had no idea what a hornets' nest I was kicking over.)

The best I can do on a quick search is to refer you to a page on the firefighters' union's website: Uniformed Firefighters Association. It collects some relevant news stories. Giuliani supporters and critics can all find some ammo there. The gist of the criticism is that the 1993 WTC attack revealed problems in aspects of the City's emergency response, including the communication issue; that the Giuliani Administration decided to address that issue by equipping the FDNY with new radios; that the Giuliani Administration then botched the job by inadequate attention to detail and/or succumbing to political favoritism. What I think is undisputed is that the new radios were put into service, proved to be a total disaster, and were withdrawn. On September 11, the systems that had caused problems in 1993 were still in use. Giuliani was Mayor for almost all the intervening eight years, so he's got to take at least some of the blame.

I'm sure there's additional relevant information (again, probably some for each side) in the 9/11 Commission report. Maybe someone else can dig it out. Right now I have to abandon FR for RL. My thanks to all for an interesting discussion.