WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International testified today at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Open Commission Meeting in Atlanta, Ga. focusing on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on communications services in the Gulf Coast states.
"…just as 9/11 helped to focus the nation on the communications issues facing our first responders, Hurricane Katrina has revealed that much still needs to be accomplished to provide public safety personnel with the communications tools they need to protect the safety of life and property,” the testimony by APCO International First Vice President Willis Carter said.
In his testimony, Carter outlined some of the issues he saw first hand during a visit to the affected areas last week. He also updated the FCC on some of the activities APCO International has been engaged in to help support communications personnel and restore communications in the affected areas. In addition, Carter stressed the importance of communications amidst disaster, specifically noting that public safety answering points (PSAPs) must be considered as core elements of the first response structure; planning and training for disasters is essential; there must be common incident command structures at all levels of emergency response; funding must be available for communications networks to withstand any disaster and plan for restoration; telephone central offices supporting 9-1-1 tandems must be mirrored in locations sufficiently remote to allow for quick restoration of 9-1-1 services; interoperable radio spectrum should be available for replacement radio systems; and public safety agencies must have funding and radio spectrum to operate robust interoperable radio communications systems.
Visit
http://www.apcointl.org/about/gov/PDF/CarterKatrinaStatement091505.pdf to view the testimony.
About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, Inc. is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO serves the professional needs of its 14,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.