Currently, most police and fire agencies, the first responders in major crises, have difficulty working with each other because they have little or no ability to talk to outside agencies in a large crisis. Modern emergency services use communications strategies that apply 1940's radio and telephone technology and 1950's tactics. Without automated communications, thousands of messages overwhelm a traditional voice and paper communications system. The solution proposed in this article would create a command and control system on standard computers such as those in patrol cars. The system would be available in all dispatch centers, emergency response vehicles, and incident command locations. It would supplement existing voice networks, creating access to standard static data on buildings, road maps, and pipelines. Where no direct radio contact is present, the system would establish direct data e-mail-style communications, providing immediate situational awareness for first responders and the incident commander. A Web-based system uses basic Internet connections to communicate in real-time with other users and tracks all fire and police vehicles on an electronic street map. Computers also can store great volumes of static data that can be collected before an incident occurs. The Federal Government can double the size of the standing military in a homeland defense role by providing the coordination of communications infrastructure and purchasing and managing technology that provides tactical communications. The costs of a national system are discussed in the concluding section of this article.