WASHINGTON-The Bush administration came under fire from Democrats and Republicans last week over missing funding for improved first-responder radio communications, while a nonprofit group pressed Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and other officials to move faster to overhaul the nation’s outdated emergency alert system by exploiting wireless and other technologies to get timely warnings to citizens.
On Capitol Hill, Democratic senators spotlighted what they said were cuts to first responders in the Bush administration’s homeland-security budget with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) calling it “missing in action.”
The White House has moved funds from state and local grant programs to D.C.-based counter-terrorism activities, said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y). “They are robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Schumer.
One of the areas proposed to be cut is radio interoperability to allow public-safety agencies to talk to each other, said Schumer. “We learned that horrible lesson on Sept. 11,” he said.
The Bush administration’s proposal to not fund a grant program meant to increase public-safety interoperability was highlighted by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) during a Senate Government Affairs Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2005 budget for the Department of Homeland Security.
“I am also concerned about the level of support being provided to states. For example, states are facing critical challenges in making communications interoperable. Yet, Safecom, which provides public-safety agencies with the guidance to achieve interoperable communications, does not have a specific funding level in the budget,” said Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii).
Akaka’s criticism of the Homeland Security Department’s $40.2 billion budget was not the only one. The White House’s proposal to cut grant money for first responders was also criticized by Republicans.
“Of course there are concerns. While our first responders are receiving more resources, they need a streamlined grant process that includes greater flexibility in how they can use federal resources,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairman of the Senate Government Affairs.
Collins chaired the hearing on the FY 2005 budget for the Homeland Security Department.
Not surprisingly, Tom Ridge, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, had a different view.
“The amount to first responders since fiscal year 2001 will be $15 billion,” said Ridge. “I believe we can better target these resources.”
The debate comes as public safety is facing a possibly expensive re-tuning effort to solve interference in the 800 MHz band and public safety answering points struggle to upgrade to be able to receive wireless enhanced 911 Phase II information.
“We know that timely and accurate public warnings to those at risk from terrorism and other emergencies can save lives, reduce property losses and speed economic recovery. We once had a strong civil defense program that tested warning systems and educated the public. Unfortunately, with the end of the Cold War we became complacent and paid little attention to issues such as the Emergency Alert System,” said William Craig Fugate, chairman of the Partnership for Public Warning and director of the Florida division of emergency management.
PPW said, among other things, no significant effort has been made to incorporate new technologies such as cell phones and pagers. A White House report in 2000 made much the same point. Frustration has been voiced that DHS, a colossal bureaucracy with a huge portfolio, is not giving emergency alert reform the priority some believe it deserves.
DHS did not make an official available for comment.
Congress made available $10 million this fiscal year “to better develop a national alert system to notify the general public in the event of a terrorist attack.” That money only recently has become available, but it is unclear exactly how it will be spent.
A federal advisory committee of the Federal Communications Commission, set to issue recommendations next month on emergency alert reform, appears headed in the same direction on integration of new technologies-like wireless-into a new emergency alert regime. The wireless industry wants to avoid any federal mandate, a position mobile-phone carriers previously voiced with respect to priority access capability.
“I think it [the PPW report] accurately and faithfully reflects the state of the EAS system,” said James Dailey, director of homeland security policy at the FCC.
Dailey said he envisions the next generation of emergency warnings being a “system of systems.” He said the FCC would open a notice of inquiry this summer on the future of the country’s Emergency Alert System.
“We are in continuous discussion with homeland security officials on EAS issues,” said Dailey.
