The Federal Communications Commission on April 23 voted 5-0 to set aside a chunk of airwaves for public safety organizations. The 50 MHz of spectrum between 4940 MHz and 4990 MHz in the high-frequency bandwidth will be used for new technologies such as high-speed digital devices and wireless local area networks for incident scene management, dispatch operations and vehicle operations, the commission said in a release.

FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell said in a statement that "in these difficult economic times for our first responders, this flexibility may be essential to building the infrastructure and developing the necessary equipment to deliver these new broadband applications. I urge state and local governments to work with one another and the critical infrastructure community to utilize fully this new spectrum opportunity to make all Americans safer."

Unlike the various slivers of airwaves space devoted to public safety in the past, the new airwaves occupy a single large area well suited to broadband applications like live video.

"The big lesson of Sept. 11, was you have all of these people showing up at a spot because of a national disaster and their devices couldn't communicate," said John Muleta, chief of the FCC's wireless bureau. He said emergency workers from different jurisdictions will have an easier time communicating using the new airwaves.

Muleta said several companies are developing equipment to use the new airwaves. Potential uses include monitoring the vital signs of rescuers, sending images of wanted or missing people to police cars, improving voice communication and better management of emergency scenes.

For example, Muleta said, a firefighter could enter a burning building with a helmet-mounted camera sending live video to commanders outside. The commanders could download floor plans and direct rescuers to a particular room or apartment to save someone who had called 911.

It's uncertain whether cash-strapped public safety agencies can afford the new gadgets, but basing the technology on existing commercial wireless equipment may cut costs, said Ron Haraseth, a director with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials.