Public Safety Experts Call 2007 "Most Important Year"

Need for a Clear Definition of Interoperability is Paramount;

Panelists Agree That Efforts Must Be Coordinated to Ensure First Responders Have Sufficient Funding and Spectrum

Leading public safety experts from Capitol Hill, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and state agencies yesterday agreed that spectrum and funding decisions in 2007 will likely be transformative for first responders, but there is still a great need for consensus on interoperability definitions and solutions. The First Response Coalition (FRC) National Press Club event, "The Post Election Landscape for Public Safety Communications: 2007 Predictions and Recommendations," brought together seven experts to examine how changes in Congress, new government programs and initiatives, and advances in technology will contribute to the ongoing effort to achieve communications interoperability for first responders across the country. The participants acknowledged that while it is still a great climb to find comprehensive interoperability solutions, recent developments, such as the DTV transition and DHS Secretary Chertoff's call for interoperability in major cities and statewide by 2008 were important first steps.

Noting that the electoral changes in Congress would not be a roadblock for first responder efforts, Christine Kurth, Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Commerce Committee, said, "Public safety is a bipartisan issue. We want to move new ideas in 2007. I think that the prospects are probably good for passing comprehensive national interoperability legislation."

Tom Tolman, Program Manager/Principal Investigator of Public Safety Communications at the National Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology Center, declared, "This is the most important year for interoperability. There will be huge decisions on spectrum. 2007 is also an exciting year for standards, with commercial services as a driver, as technology is finding its way into the public safety sector." Tolman said his organization would be releasing an updated study in the fall of 2007 to provide an accurate snapshot of interoperability efforts.

Robert Crouch, Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness (Virginia), said, "We need interoperability within our interoperability. We are trying to build better coalitions within the regions and our states." Crouch noted that in previous years, DHS grant guidelines did not account for multi-state applications, but that the problem had been remedied for 2007.

"There is a problem with governance, larger than technology issues," said Rob Strayer, Counsel to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. "We've created the new Office of Emergency Communications in DHS, established FEMA committees to look at regional solutions, and called for DHS to create a National Plan for Interoperability." Strayer indicated it would be important for all these initiatives to be coordinated so that the best practices could be available to first responders.

Still another issue for first responders is access to radio spectrum. Panelists concurred that the 24 MHz allocated to first responders from the digital television transition was crucial to interoperability. "Do we have enough spectrum? That is not a simple question," said David Furth, Associate Bureau Chief, FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau. "We have to look at technology and costs. The definition of interoperability is still an issue to discuss."

Tony Frater, the Deputy Director of the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Interoperability and Compatibility, indicated that moving forward, first responders will have a great deal more information about interoperability in order to develop solutions. "The National Baseline Survey will be a phenomenal tool for first responders and informative for policy officials to understand the capacity for interoperability across the country."

The panelists also agreed that funding issues are, and will continue to be, paramount. Jenny Hansen, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Next-Generation E911 Coordinator said, "Funding models in public safety communications and E911 are built on old models and technology. Grant restrictions need to be looked at from the practitioner standpoint."

FRC Executive Director Steven Jones said in summarizing the events proceedings, "Public safety experts agree that adequate funding, sufficient spectrum, and a coordinated effort are needed to achieve interoperable emergency communications. It is now time for this country to take the expert advice we have been given and turn it into meaningful action so that first responders can more safely and effectively protect our communities."

For more information, contact Steven Jones at 202 263 2904 or sjones@firstresponsecoalition.org

About the FRC

The FRC (www.firstresponsecoalition.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization promoting the needs of America's first responders in the areas of communications interoperability and data/information preparedness. The FRC represents the broad spectrum of first responders and their "friends and family" - the communities and individuals served by first responders everyday. The First Response Coalition consists of tens of thousands of concerned citizens and first responders, as well as numerous advocacy groups. These organizations have joined our campaign because they understand that when we protect first responders we protect ourselves.

judythpiazza@gmail.com