Washington, D.C., July 11, 2011 — The Public Safety Alliance (PSA) announced today that it applauds and strongly supports Congressmen John D. Dingell (D-MI 15) and Gene Green (D-TX 29) for their introduction of companion legislation to Senate bill S. 911.

“As a former Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and as respected senior members of the Committee, your introduction of H.R. 2482 as a companion bill to S. 911 is a crucial seal of approval for legislation that will help create a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network that will help keep all Americans safe,” said PSA Spokesman Chief Chris Moore of the San Jose Police Department.  “On behalf of the more than 2 million first responders nationwide, the Public Safety Alliance thanks you both for your leadership on this critical issue.”

Senate bill S. 911 – the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011 – was recently favorably voted out of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on a 21-4 vote with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Dingell and Green’s companion bill contained many key legislative principles, and top public safety priorities, including:

• Allocating the entire 10 MHz D Block within the 700 band to public safety and allow it to be combined with 10 MHz already allocated to public safety for broadband; and
• Reauthorizing the Federal Communications Commission to conduct spectrum auctions in the future to boost the economy and raise revenue to pay down the debt and fund other programs; and
• Authorizing voluntary incentive auctions to generate tens of billions in new revenue of up $10 billion for debt reduction and $11 billion to help fund the nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network.  Like S.911, this legislation meets a still outstanding recommendation of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

Moore continued, “We thank Congressmen Dingell and Green for their leadership in sponsoring this critical legislation.  The PSA urges the House Energy and Commerce Committee to swiftly co-sponsor and pass this legislation in order to bring it to the House floor immediately. We look forward to working together toward final enactment on this top priority that promotes the safety of our nation ahead of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 this September.”

A nationwide public safety broadband network would allow first responders to exchange robust data on an efficient communications network during everyday emergencies, natural disasters and terrorist attacks.  It would allow them to view building diagrams, hydrant locations, maps and highway information on hand-held devices.  It would provide video to facilitate instantaneous situational awareness of major fire and hazmat incidents in real-time.  A future capability for emergency medical operations is the ability for digital imaging, portable EKGs and ultrasounds, field blood work and video of an accident scene – all transmitted to an emergency department and a physician many miles away.  Law enforcement would use the wireless broadband network for numerous applications from field fingerprint identification to the rapid access of criminal records.

For more information on a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, visit www.psafirst.org.

About Public Safety Alliance
The Public Safety Alliance (www.psafirst.org) is a partnership of the nation’s leading public safety associations, which includes the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major County Sheriffs’ Association, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, the National Emergency Management Association and the National Association of State EMS Officials. The partnership is operated as a program of APCO International. The purpose of the Public Safety Alliance’s is to ensure law enforcement, fire and EMS agencies are able to use the most technologically advanced communications capabilities that meet the difficult, life-threatening challenges they face every day as they protect America. The goal of the Public Safety Alliance is to raise awareness in Congress and the White House about what our Nation’s law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services need to build out a nationwide, interoperable, 4G, wireless communications network to protect America. For more information on the Public Safety Alliance, visit www.psafirst.org.