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The ComCARE (Communications for CoordinatedAssistance and Response to Emergencies) Al-

liance is a broad-based coalition formed in 1997 by or-ganizations representing nursing, medical, EMS,public safety, and telecommunications professionals.ENA has been a supporter of ComCARE since its in-ception, and K. Sue Hoyt (1997 ENA president) is thechairperson of the Alliance. ComCARE’s goal is topromote public safety through the use of wirelesstelecommunications technology.

One key component of ComCARE’s agenda is topromote the deployment of automatic crash notifica-tion technology in vehicles. These “smart cars” wouldsense a crash, automatically notify 911, relay informa-tion to the dispatcher about the mechanism and lo-cation of the crash, and open a telephone line to the911 dispatcher even if the victim(s) is/are uncon-scious or unable to dial the phone. This mechanismwould result in more appropriate and timely dispatchof EMS, fire, and law enforcement personnel.

An essential ingredient of automatic crash notifi-cation is universal 911 and wireless telecommuni-cations coverage. Many dead zones exist in whichcellular communications are not available—mostcommonly in rural areas, the very same areas wherepublic safety resources are most thinly spread. Ispeak with firsthand knowledge of dead zones. I pur-chased a cellular phone for my car 4 years ago be-cause I frequently drive alone, after dark, on snow-covered rural highways notorious for a high incidenceof “MVCs” (moose-vehicle collisions). Most of mytravels take me through moderately populated areaswhere my cell phone functions just fine. However, lastspring (moose mating season), as I drove home froma meeting in Vermont, I was surprised to discoverthat my cell phone was nonfunctional for more thantwo thirds of my 11⁄2-hour trip. I saw very few cars,

and houses were miles apart for most of the drive.The phone I had purchased for safety would havebeen useless if Bullwinkle had stumbled onto theroad. The legislation proposed by ComCARE wouldfacilitate the installation of antennas to connect thedots of wireless coverage and eliminate these deadzones.

From the perspective of an emergency nurse, thegoals of ComCARE make good sense. From the per-spective of some neighbors of proposed antennasites, the goals of ComCARE appear to create an in-trusion and an eyesore. However, antennas do notneed to be ugly or even obvious. One telecommuni-cations company is disguising an antenna in achurch steeple in northern New England. The anten-na will be invisible, the church will get a rebuiltsteeple, and monthly antenna site rental paymentswill replace the church supper as the church’s prima-ry revenue source. Most important, the communitywill get wireless telecommunications coverage thatcan ultimately improve public safety.

Last year the Wireless Communications and Pub-lic Safety Act of 1998 was introduced in both theHouse and Senate and was passed unanimously bythe House Commerce Committee. Although the billdid not make it all the way through the legislativeprocess, it made considerable progress, and we havegreat hope that it will be passed by the 106th Con-gress. Now is the time to start grassroots work to sup-port the public safety objectives of the ComCARE Al-liance. Emergency nurses speak with personalknowledge about issues of public safety. You can playa key role in educating your community and yourelected officials. Contact ENA’s Director of Govern-ment Affairs, Kathleen Ream, at (703) 370-4550 orthrough E-mail at KathiReam@aol.com to find outhow you can help in your state.

Jean A. Proehl is Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH.J Emerg Nurs 1999;25:161.Copyright © 1999 by the Emergency Nurses Association.0099-1767/99 $8.00 + 0 18/61/97553

President’s MessageComCARE because we careJean A. Proehl, RN, MN, CEN, CCRN, Cornish, NH