WASHINGTON-FCC Chairman Michael Powell invited all state officials responsible for deploying wireless enhanced 911 to the Federal Communications Commission in late October for the second part of the E911 Initiative, which was launched in the spring.
“The FCC cannot make E911 happen-we need carriers, public safety, incumbent local exchange carriers, equipment vendors, and state and local governments to be full partners if the ‘era of cooperation’ is to yield a lasting ‘era of accomplishment,’ ” said Powell.
Powell appeared Aug. 11 at the annual conference of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials in Indianapolis.
Additionally, Powell sent a letter to all state E911 officials and announced the creation of an E911 technical subcommittee of the FCC’s Network Reliability and Interoperability Council. The January meeting of the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee will shape the issues to be discussed by the NRIC subcommittee.
But even with all of these efforts, Powell told the APCO audience it is consumers who can make the most difference.
“When consumers buy wireless phones, they shouldn’t just ask about the price. They need to ask carriers, ‘Do you provide E911 Phase II capability? How accurate is the E911 capability in this handset? What is your deployment schedule in my area?’ ” said Powell.
Powell has often linked E911 to homeland security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and he did so again in Indianapolis. “Before and since Sept. 11, the FCC has developed policies to secure our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure and network reliability. Spectrum policy and homeland security are at the forefront of my strategic plan for the commission. Central to that plan is the implementation of E911 for wireless communications services,” he said.
