The new equipment includes 800 megahertz trunked radio systems that enable emergency personnel to carry smaller portable radios with improved coverage, hand-carried laptop computers, electronic notepads, and computer-aided dispatch systems. Further advances include electronic records management systems, fire information reporting plans, and enhanced Nine-one-one that gives the dispatcher instant knowledge of the telephone number and address of the caller. Although many police agencies and public safety dispatchers lack these state-of-the-art systems and are using communications systems that are actually unsafe. Thus, developing better technologies may be easier than ensuring that agencies have and use them. Photographs