First responders detail emergency communications problems

House lawmakers and emergency responders on Wednesday agreed that more needs to be done to establish emergency communications systems that function across jurisdictions.

A lack of equipment standards, inadequate funding and turf wars among federal, state and local officials have made it increasingly to difficult to achieve interoperable emergency communications, a panel of "first responders" said at a House Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology Subcommittee hearing.

Wisconsin State Patrol Chairman Casey Perry attributed a great deal of his problems to squabbles among states, counties and municipalities. He said more federal grant money needs to be conditional to hold state and local governments accountable for creating interoperable networks.

"Each entity resists losing their share of control," Perry said. "This is the underlying root of the problems we face today."

William Maroney, president of the United Telecom Council, said utilities need to be more included in the process because they can build infrastructures that help communications systems function during disasters. He urged the committee to invest judiciously in technology and said that throwing money at the latest devices would not solve the problem on its own.

Lawmakers in both parties sympathized with the witnesses and said the issue needs to be resolved before another disaster or emergency threatens to expose shortcomings in existing systems. "The status quo is intolerable," said Dave Reichert, R-Wash.

Reichert said the "inadequate response" to Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that work toward interoperability after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have not been effective. He said strong leadership is necessary to resolve the complex problem.

"Interoperable communications is about much more than spectrum and money," he said.

California Democrat Jane Harman said lawmakers need to refocus on providing more spectrum for emergency communications. The Feb. 17, 2009, deadline for broadcasters to return analog signals to the government for other uses still leaves a three-year window for congestion to occur over airwaves, she said.

A law signed by President Bush last week would allow the Federal Communications Commission to auction spectrum in January 2008. But Harman said she is urging her peers to consider a measure, H.R. 1646, that would quicken the deadline for broadcasters to transition to digital signals.

"The broadcasters should back off," she said.

New Jersey Democrat Bill Pascrell blamed the White House for providing what he called poor leadership in facilitating initiatives to improve emergency communications. He said funding levels in Bush's fiscal 2007 budget request are unacceptable.

"This administration doesn't get it," he said. "I don't know what party they belong to, to be honest with you."

Pascrell said he is looking forward to questioning the FCC as the committee continues to hold hearings on the subject. "All hell is going to break out," he said.