The question from the 1984 Ghostbusters film — “Who ya gonna call?” — is a loaded one around here. One of my jobs as the director of the Command, Control and Interoperability Division at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Directorate for Science and Technology is to ensure that our heroes — emergency responders — can talk to one another. The buzzword is interoperability. I hear it daily, and there’s no question it’s critically important.

There’s also no doubt in my mind that interoperable technologies already exist. Of course, we can spend years making them better, faster and more powerful than ever before, but here’s the reality: We can buy technology that meets most of our needs now, while we continue to work on making the better stuff available. However, before we can begin implementing the technology, we must face a bigger issue: cultural differences. (GovTech)

President Obama has nominated Florida’s emergency manager to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, turning to a Republican with experience in natural disasters to help restore credibility to an agency whose reputation was badly damaged by its response to Hurricane Katrina. (NY Times)

What kinds of tools do first responders need to deal with emergencies? And how can improvements in science and technology help police and firefighters to do their jobs? One branch of the Department of Homeland Security is out on the West Coast today, wrapping up a three-day conference to assess the needs of first responders.

Since Tuesday, DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate has been meeting with approximately 200 first responders, primarily from the Western states, at the Meydenbauer Conference Center in Belleview, Washington, just south of Seattle. (FedNewsRadio)

The struggle to balance the city’s budget continues. This time firefighters are speaking out. WAVE 3′s Shayla Reaves has the latest.

Louisville’s firefighters have heard the numbers but they’re not convinced the city is really down $20 million. We asked a Kerri Richardson, a spokeswoman for the Mayor’s office, about the budget hole and she confirmed the figure. (Wave 3)

“In the last couple years, we’ve patrolled a little better and the public has become more involved,” Anderson told The Times. “People are calling in … such as when they see a suspicious vehicle. (More)

Ambulance services across the UK hold records of more than 8,500 households who have a history of violence against paramedics, the BBC has learned.

Staff called to emergencies at these addresses are advised to wait for police before entering the premises.

The Patients Association says records must be “absolutely accurate” or “patient safety may be in danger”. (BBC)

The Hinsdale fire department is made up of mostly volunteer first responders, but recently, the chief has noticed a downward trend in his numbers.

“As far as actual firefighters, we’re still down like everyone else is,” said Hinsdale Fire Chief Larry Turner.

He says the number of people willing to donate their time as volunteer firefighters is dwindling and the economy may be to blame. (Capital News 9)

Since Sept. 11, 2001, Franklin County and its regional partners have invested more than $37.5 million in planning, equipment and training exercises for its police, fire and other regional first responders.” (The Other Paper)