Interoperability comes in many flavors––the best technology is the one that’s appropriate for each situation. Here’s a quick run-down of the most common types:

1. Dispatcher-mediated: agencies communicate with their dispatchers, who then communicate with each other.
2. Radio caches: multiple portable radios stored at strategic locations, already set up to work on the existing major radio systems in the area, ready to issue or swap.
3. Multiple radios: users install two or more radios in their vehicles to have access to different frequency bands.
   
4. Shared channels and talkgroups: users of radio systems using the same frequency band (e.g., UHF, VHF, 800 MHz) can often program each others’ channels (non-trunked systems) or talk groups (trunked systms) into their radios.
5. Crossband repeaters: devices that permanently connect channels in different frequency bands. For example, they might receive a signal on 800 MHz and retransmit (repeat) it on 800 MHz and VHF.
6. Gateways: devices that interconnect channels or talkgroups of different radio systems. In Nevada these will be IP-based and co-located with the four largest radio systems in the state; eventually any communications center will be able to monitor all the crossband repeaters in the state as well.
7. Shared systems: common use of a single radio system by many agencies.