Star Community Newspapers - Lewisville Leader - 11/02/2005 - Congress seeks to improve for first responder communications systems

Star Community Newspapers - Lewisville Leader - 11/02/2005 - Congress seeks to improve for first responder communications systems

"Congress seeks to improve for first responder communications systems

By Cecile Satin, Staff Writer11/02/2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma, congress is now seeking improvements to the nation's emergency communications systems.

First responders would be given more radio spectrum in the 700 megahertz band under a bill approved on Oct. 20 by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee as part of the 2006 fiscal budget resolution.

On Oct. 26, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up the proposed legislation and included a definite date of Dec. 31, 2008 for the transition of all television broadcasts from analog to digital transmission; thus returning the analog spectrum for public safety uses.

'Nationwide, especially in some of the very congested cities where they have tight frequency spectrum, [the transition] will allow more licenses to be given for public safety on the analog spectrum,' Fire Chief Eric Metzger said. 'It will allow [emergency response teams] to migrate into a frequency area where they can have interoperability communications.'

Congressman Michael Burgess, of District 26, voted in favor of the legislation and long-awaited transition date."

"It was apparent after 9/11 that first responders were greatly hampered by the inability to communicate with one another," Burgess said in a released statement. "I have been a long-time advocate of making the switch to digital transmissions, but it was the devastation of hurricane Katrina and Rita that made it clear to my colleagues that we could not wait another four years to take action."

73 fer nw,
Bob N5IET

10X# 37210, FP#-1141, SMIRK#-5177
http://www.n5iet.com/
Code may be taking a back seat for now,
but the pioneering spirit that put the code
there in the first place is out front of it all.