Interoperability may be a major issue with communications equipment.

Interoperability does not necessarily require matching hardware, but it must be compatible. 800 or 900 MHz systems may be proprietary, making communication with others who are not registered users on the system more difficult.

It is important to ensure that agencies share enough frequencies to provide communication during incidents. Many States have established statewide emergency frequencies that can be used for major mobilizations.

Some other issues with communications equipment are backup power and redundancy, as well as alternative communication methods for alert and warning systems.