Chief Harlin R. McEwen Chairman, Communications & Technology Committee International Association of Chiefs of Police Chief of Police (Ret) City of Ithaca, NY FBI Deputy Assistant Director (Ret)

Public Safety Communications Issues

First Responder Community 1 National Directory of Fire Chiefs and EMS Administrators 2 National Directory of Law Enforcement Administrators 2,500,000 Public Safety First Responders 28,713 Fire and 6,034 EMS Departments (1) 960,000 Firefighters & 830,000 EMS Personnel 960,000 Firefighters & 830,000 EMS Personnel 15,221 Law Enforcement Agencies (2) 15,221 Law Enforcement Agencies (2) 710,000 Law Enforcement Officers 710,000 Law Enforcement Officers

Public Safety Communications Basically A State & Local Issue First Responders Are State & Local Federal Agencies Have A Different Mission Radio Spectrum Assigned Differently State & Local Agencies Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal Agencies National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Public Safety Communications Voice - Wireless/Radio Data - Wireless/Radio (Land Mobile/Satellite) Data - Wired Networks (Internet)

Public Safety Radio Systems vs. Commercial Cellular-Type Services

Commercial Cellular-Type Services  Are used by virtually every public safety agency for NON MISSION CRITICAL communications  Are a useful tool  Augment communications capability  Provide some overflow  Provide means to “quickly” add service  48+ hour response  Limitations on type of service

ComparisonComparison Public Safety Systems  One-to-many  Wide area coverage  Infra-structure independent  Instant access  Decisions--Mission Commercial Cellular- Type Systems  One-to-one  Cellular coverage  Infra-structure dependent  Access delayed  Decisions--Business

ComparisonComparison Public Safety Systems  One-time cost  Control of system Commercial Cellular- Type Systems  Cost based on use  No control of system  Often overloaded, particularly in times of major emergencies  No redundancy

Public Safety Must Have Mission Critical Systems In law enforcement, it is imperative for one unit to hear what is going on around it, for the dispatcher to be able to send multiple units to a scene quickly and for all those in an area to be able to hear the report from the first officer on the scene Likewise, fire personnel need to be directed into a fire scene. Consider five engines responding to a fire. The officer in charge must be able to direct each engine into the response--- some to hydrants, some to rescue activities and some to attack the fire. It is also important that all of those responding to the fire know what the others are doing and where they are

What Is Interoperability? It is the ability to communicate with whom we need to when we need to It is not a need to communicate with everyone all of the time

Priority #1 Provide Public Safety Radio Communications Systems That Provide Reliable Agency Specific Communications Priority #2 Provide Public Safety Radio Communications Systems That Provide Reliable Interagency Local Communications Priority #3 Provide Public Safety Radio Communications Systems That Provide Reliable Interagency Local/State/Federal Communications

Public Safety Continues To Need "More Radio Spectrum" "More Radio Spectrum" Amount of spectrum currently available Amount of spectrum currently available is insufficient to effectively carry out is insufficient to effectively carry out the public safety critical mission the public safety critical mission Spectrum is increasingly being used Spectrum is increasingly being used to support more advanced technologies to support more advanced technologies such as data, imagery, & video such as data, imagery, & video

Public Safety Continues To Need "More Radio Spectrum" "More Radio Spectrum" For over 20 years, Public Safety has For over 20 years, Public Safety has been actively working with the FCC been actively working with the FCC & Congress to obtain more & Congress to obtain more Public Safety radio spectrum Public Safety radio spectrum The 1996 Report of the Public Safety The 1996 Report of the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) indicated Public Safety needs an indicated Public Safety needs an additional 97.5 MHz by 2010 additional 97.5 MHz by 2010

Public Safety Continues To Need "More Radio Spectrum" "More Radio Spectrum"  Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee  Final report published September 11, 1996  Evaluated spectrum needs of public safety THROUGH the year 2010  Recommended 97.5 MHz of additional spectrum  25 MHz needed within 5 years  2.5 MHz needed below 512 MHz for interoperability

Public Safety Continues To Need "More Radio Spectrum" "More Radio Spectrum" In the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, In the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the Congress directed the FCC to the Congress directed the FCC to allocate additional public safety allocate additional public safety spectrum spectrum As a result the FCC allocated 24 MHz As a result the FCC allocated 24 MHz of new Public Safety radio spectrum - of new Public Safety radio spectrum - TV Channels 63 & 64 ( MHz) TV Channels 63 & 64 ( MHz) TV Channels 68 & 69 ( MHz) TV Channels 68 & 69 ( MHz)

Public Safety Continues To Need "More Radio Spectrum" "More Radio Spectrum" The 24 MHz of Public Safety radio spectrum - The 24 MHz of Public Safety radio spectrum - TV Ch 63 & 64 ( MHz) & TV Ch 68 & 69 ( MHz) TV Ch 63 & 64 ( MHz) & TV Ch 68 & 69 ( MHz) worthless to Public Safety in most worthless to Public Safety in most areas of the U.S. until TV areas of the U.S. until TV broadcasters vacate the spectrum broadcasters vacate the spectrum Public Safety and the "Big 7" have endorsed Public Safety and the "Big 7" have endorsed the Harman/Weldon Bill HR3397 as a the Harman/Weldon Bill HR3397 as a way to solve the problem way to solve the problem

700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum Blockage

VLFLFMFHFVHFUHFSHFEHF 30 kHz 3 MHz 30 MHz 300 MHz 3 GHz 30 GHz *Requires TV Clearing in most urban areas New PS Spectrum – 4.9 GHz Public Safety Radio Spectrum Bands * *

Challenges to Public Safety Communications & Interoperability Public Safety Radio Communications Today: $17.1B State and Local aging infrastructure needs replacing Distributed governance Incompatible Equipment Relatively small (compared to commercial market), fragmented niche market Limited vendors There is No “Silver Bullet” Solution

“State and Local Law Enforcement Wireless Communications and Interoperability A Quantitative Analysis” Published - January 1998  Report based upon 1997 Survey of Local and State law enforcement agencies  Funding and Different Radio Bands were top two obstacles cited with improving communications and interoperability  Institutional differences were also noted as a significant obstacle; the existence of fiefdoms  Survey respondents almost unanimously stated that any federal mandates on spectrum use must have funding for implementation Key Findings: Defining The Wireless/Radio Problem

Public Safety Radio Interference “Current 800 MHz Systems” Public Safety is experiencing serious Public Safety is experiencing serious radio interference throughout the radio interference throughout the U.S. in 800 MHz systems U.S. in 800 MHz systems “Future 700 MHz Systems” “Future 700 MHz Systems” Public Safety is concerned that the FCC Public Safety is concerned that the FCC has adopted tentative rules that will has adopted tentative rules that will not prevent similar or worse not prevent similar or worse interference in the new 700 MHz band interference in the new 700 MHz band

Public Safety Radio Interference “Current 800 MHz Systems”

Public Safety National Coordinating Committee N C C N C C Formed in 1997 Official Federal Advisory Committee Official Federal Advisory Committee that is making recommendations that is making recommendations to the FCC for the use of the new to the FCC for the use of the new 700 MHz spectrum 700 MHz spectrum

National Public Safety Telecommunications Council Telecommunications Council N P S T C Formed in 1997 NPSTC Member Organizations American Assn of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Association of Public Safety Officials (APCO) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Law Enforcement Wireless Users Group (FLEWUG) Forestry Conservation Communications Association (FCCA) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

NPSTC Member Organizations (Cont’d) International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) National Assn of State Emergency Medical Service Directors (NASEMSD) National Association of State Foresters (NASF) National Assn of State Telecommunications Directors (NASTD) Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN)

Public Safety Wireless Network Program PSWN Resources Conduct Symposiums Publish Reports & Resource Manuals Provided Financial Assistance to State & Local Assisted with Olympic System in Salt Lake City A Federal Program Jointly Administered By The U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. Department of Justice

Mission: To assist state and local public safety agencies to effectively and efficiently communicate with one another across agency and jurisdictional boundaries The AGILE Program Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Standards Identification, Development and Adoption Identification, Development and Adoption Outreach & Technology Assistance Technology Assistance National Institute of Justice - Office of Science & Technology

AGILE Resources “Why Can’t We Talk” Video AGILE Brochure AGILE Resource CD-ROM

National Task Force On Interoperability Supported By The National Institute of Justice Office of Science & Technology Office of Science & Technology AGILE Program Chair Judith Wood Chief Information Officer Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Vice Chair Vicki Barnett City Councilmember City of Farmington Hills Michigan State & Local Elected & Appointed Officials Big Seven and Public Safety Associations

Justice Standards Registry Infrastructure/Standards Working Group (ISWG) The Justice Standards Registry will be a repository of information technology and communications standards that promote information exchange