A new report gives Topeka high marks in being able to help you in a major emergency.

The Department of Homeland Security issued the grades for 75 metropolitan areas. While it's sounding alarms for some major cities, Topeka landed among the best.

"Command and control can't happen without communication," says Shawnee County Emergency Communications Director Bill Singer. "Communication is critical."

Shawnee County has a consolidated communications center. It's launch in 1997 was the result of a $5.8 million investment made after the 1993 bombing of Topeka's federal building. During that incident, Singer says, Sheriff's officials at one corner couldn't communicate with the Police officials on the other.

In July of 2005, the Kansas Highway Patrol asked Shawnee County to formalize its plan and develop a model Tactical Interoperatble Communications, or TIC, plan for the state. The system was put to the test in September, with a mock disaster drill on Washburn's campus involving 19 area agencies.

Based on that drill, and drills like it in other cities, Homeland Security Wednesday released its TIC scorecards. Of the 75 cities scored, only six received the highest rating. Those include Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and San Diego. Topeka came in tenth, getting "advanced" marks in usage and the slightly lower "well-developed" marks for procedures and governance.

Singer says he's pleased with the results but adds he's never satisfied and is always working to get better. Singer says the main area targeted for improvement is getting away from numeric codes and signals, which can vary among departments. He says efforts are underway to use plain language where it's practical.

Singer says the TIC plan is more than just a good radio system. He says Shawnee County has 3000 subscribers operating on its system, everything from hospital, library and school security to state, county and city agencies, the FBI and DEA, forestry and public works departments, as well as city and rural fire departments. The work comes in being able to coordinate all of their communications without overloading the system.

Singer says the coordination is happening every single day. He says his staff sees each 911 call as important as a formal exercise.

Singer says Homeland Security is even using Shawnee County as a model for how it's able to mobilize amateur radio personnel as part of its plans.