Emergency communication system
During the attack on September 11, 2001, common communications (such as telephones) did not work well, because so many people were using them. The people who answered 911 emergency calls could not do much to help because they were getting information that was confusing. Radio communications between emergency services people were limited because the different departments could not easily communicate with each other. Many fire-fighters died when the buildings fell because they could not get the same warning that the police officers got from the NYPD helicopters. People whose hobby was radio were important for helping get communications between the different emergency departments, because their radios worked differently.