Congress Urged to Make Public Safety Communications a Priority

The public safety case was made in 1996, when a Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee report “clearly demonstrated” first responders’ need for more spectrum, public safety officials told us. Since then, events like the 9/11 attacks periodically have refocused attention on this issue. Unfortunately, it took yet another disaster for policymakers to heed first responders’ needs, they said.

APCO urged Congress to pass legislation this year that would: (1) Set a hard date to clear TV stations from 700 MHz band radio spectrum already allocated for public safety. (2) Boost federal grants supporting interoperable communications planning, staffing and equipment. (3) “Improve the way funds are allocated to local governments to be used for upgrading or purchasing interoperable communications systems.” (4) “Provide federal grants to PSAPs to upgrade their 911 systems.” (5) “Consider the need for additional spectrum for broadband public safety communications applications.”

“Looking at types of technology the Defense Dept. uses is another thing we can do,” said Bill Webb, exec. dir. at the Congressional Fire Services Institute. “Some technology that DoD is using is not available to first responders,” he said: “There should be sharing of military technology with local jurisdictions.”

Public safety officials view Katrina as another example that helps them make their case on the Hill. “We will raise the issue, there is no question,” Webb said: “There are events happening on a daily basis demonstrating the need for broadcasters’ spectrum.” Alan Caldwell, senior advisor to the govt. relations dept. at International Assn. of Fire Chiefs, said “the 10 bands that public safety communicates are on are full. There is literally little or no room to expand. Until we get this new spectrum that has been promised, we don’t have the kind of communications systems that American public expects us to have.” APCO Dir.-Legal & Govt. Affairs Robert Gurss said Katrina will help APCO lobbyists demonstrate the public safety needs: “Katrina focused a lot of attention on communications systems, which it should, and to the extent it keeps people’s attention on the issue, that’s a good result.” Meanwhile, Congress is taking steps to address some of the public safety’s needs (see related story).

The wireless industry also may benefit from a rapid DTV transition that public safety is pushing. This would free the piece of 700 MHz spectrum for advanced wireless services. “The unfortunate events [in wake of Katrina] indicated there is a critical need for [700 MHz] spectrum, and since we also have an interest in that from a consumer standpoint, we certainly expect to see an increased legislative discussion and hope for activity in regards to DTV transition,” a CTIA spokesman said.

The additional 24 MHz allocated so far to public safety, while helpful, won’t be enough, Gurss said. “We probably need more, [especially] for mobile broadband capabilities,” he said: “That is still under analysis, but from what I've seen, more spectrum will be needed for that. It’s not a question whether, it’s how much spectrum will be needed.” The FCC has not yet reported to Congress on public safety spectrum needs.

Federal funding is as big of a priority to public safety as more spectrum, officials said. Citing a 2002 survey by FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and NFPA, Webb said fire departments don’t have enough portable radios to equip half of emergency responders on a shift, especially in areas with low population. Only about 1/4 of fire departments overall can communicate with all federal, state and local partners, he said. “Because we are talking about interoperability, there should be a coordinated effort involving all levels of the government to ensure a well-thought [funding] strategy is used,” Webb said.

Ubiquitous Interoperability Said Years Away

Ubiquitous public safety system interoperability will take years and billions of dollars to achieve, public safety officials said. “Interoperability comes in stages and there are certainly things that can be done and should be done [by the govt.] short term, but comprehensive interoperability is still” years away, Gurss said.

It will take “15-20 years” to “get to where we should be” in terms of interoperability, Caldwell said: “It will take a lot of time, money and a lot of agreements among jurisdictions and among agencies within jurisdictions that don’t exist to have mutual interoperability… Smaller communities should get caught up to speed.”

“A lot of public safety agencies that need new systems and technology can’t begin the process to buy those systems until [broadcast] spectrum becomes available,” said a public safety official: “Once Congress sets a deadline for public safety to get its hands on that spectrum, local governments can begin the process of developing systems within their jurisdictions, which might take a couple of years.”

“Interoperability is a goal and something that is very desirable… but you can’t have it until you have operability,” said Caldwell: “All interoperability channels in the world wouldn’t help when you lose electric power.” Caldwell said power loss was “the biggest problem” for first responders during the Katrina recovery and “it underscores the need for more and better battery back-up. We need to take a hard look at where infrastructure is and see how it can be improved.”