US Learned Important Lessons From 2017 Hurricanes, Pai Aide Says
Experiences from the 2017 hurricane season pointed to changes needed in how the U.S. prepares, Zenji Nakazawa, public safety aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, told a U.S.-Caribbean Resilience Partnership meeting in Miami. “We learned that in addition to fostering…
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community engagement, authorities at all levels should establish pre-staged areas for processing incoming supplies, refueling, backup power, mobile telecommunications vehicles, and relief crews,” Nakazawa said Friday, in remarks posted Monday. Improved coordination is also key, he said: “We learned that coordination between communications providers and electrical and other utilities is critical to ensure restoration efforts. Coordination ensures that both communications and power are brought back into service quickly and efficiently.” The FCC is also looking at what post-disaster restoration and recovery should look like, he said. “Is it a mere ‘rip and replace’ of prior equipment or is it an opportunity for renewed investment to modernize outdated facilities and harden networks?” Nakazawa asked.