FCC Proposes Giving Railroad Police Access to Public Safety Interoperability Channels
The FCC proposed that railroad police be given access to various channels, including in TV spectrum, so they can communicate with other public safety officials. In a May 2014 petition, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) asked the FCC to make railroad police eligible to use the interoperability channels.
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“Allowing railroad police officers to use these channels will promote interoperability and facilitate improved emergency response in railroad-related emergencies and eliminate unnecessary regulatory barriers to use of these channels,” the agency said Tuesday in an NPRM. The FCC said the Public Safety Bureau initially sought comment on the petition and received uniform support for amending the rules to accommodate railroad police. The Association of American Railroads and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association filed in support of the petition, the agency said.
NPSTC said in its petition that school buses and beach patrols have access to some of the channels, but not railroad police. “Yet, bonafide Railroad Police have an increasing need for effective and expeditious communications interoperability with members of local and state law enforcement, fire and emergency medical organizations who do meet the Commission's eligibility requirements,” NPSTC said.
The FCC proposes to allow rail officers access to the VHF (150-174 MHz and 220-222 MHz), UHF (450-470 MHz), 700 MHz narrowband (764-776/794-806 MHz) and 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) bands (806-809/851-854 MHz). The comment deadline will be set once the notice is published in the Federal Register. The FCC sought comment on who should be included as railroad police. For example, should the permission take in Amtrak police? The agency proposed to license “the railroad police department or the railroad itself,” rather than individual officers.
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel released a separate statement supporting the release of the NPRM. “The Commission takes steps to improve these communications by seeking comment on the use of public safety spectrum channels by railroad police,” she said. “This is critical because railroad authorities are responsible for protecting the public both at train stations and along railways throughout the country.”