WASHINGTON-Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps last week continued his campaign to get gaps in homeland security communications addressed, urging new FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to appoint a commissioner to take the lead on key issues such as ensuring emergency responders at local, state and federal levels can talk to one another during a crisis.
Copps, a Democrat needing a reappointment because his term expired last week, has not been shy about criticizing homeland-security communications deficiencies-particularly during the tenure of former Republican FCC chairman Michael Powell.
Last week, Copps’ speech at the Wireless Communications Association conference appeared directed at Martin, a Republican FCC commissioner promoted to chairman in March.
While telling the WCA audience some progress has been made since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Copps said the FCC and homeland-security establishment continue to fall short in resolving lingering communications problems.
Copps’ remarks came only hours before President Bush invoked 9/11 in a national address last Tuesday night in hopes of shoring up waning support for the Iraqi war. A Copps aide said the FCC commissioner was not trying to upstage the president, noting Copps previously has delivered essentially the same speech. In this speech, however, Copps, the harshest critic of homeland-security communications of all the FCC commissioners, said communications problems he’s highlighted before remain unresolved in advance of the four-year anniversary of 9/11.
“In the nearly four years since 9/11, the FCC has taken some important steps. We’ve allocated more spectrum to public safety; begun the process of bringing tools like RFIDs [radio frequency identification systems] and ITS [intelligent transportation systems]; struggled with issues like CALEA [Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act] and 800 MHz; and, of course, begun to implement E[nhanced] 911. We have convened councils with industry. Advisory committees have had meetings and our government partners have begun to reorganize themselves. That’s all fine-but not enough. It is all very much a work in progress,” said Copps.
Copps said the nation’s homeland-security planning needs to provide more clarity on the FCC’s role, adding he believes the agency should be at the forefront of developing communications solutions. Copps, an aide to former Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) before joining the FCC in 2001, said The 9/11 Commission Report “lays out in chilling detail, a state of communications unreadiness that seriously got in the way of the country’s ability to respond on that terrible day. But, coming up on four years later, it also lays out a chilling picture of the state of our communications unreadiness today. We’ve taken some important steps, to be sure-and we should recognize that and be grateful for them-but the bottom line is that we are nowhere near ready for the next time.”
Powell, who pushed numerous homeland-security and public-safety initiatives (several wireless-based) after 9/11, said he remains baffled by Copps’ criticism and is offended by his latest homeland-security statements.
“I think the FCC has a strong and commendable record in its efforts on national security and emergency preparedness,” said Powell, close to completing his three-month stint as a senior fellow of the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program. “It’s hard to see Commissioner Copps’ criticism as anything other than criticism of the government.”
Copps, while noting there is a role for the wireless industry in tackling homeland-security communications challenges, said it might be time for government intervention.
“We need to remember that time is no friend when it comes to terrorism,” said Copps. “Reorganization tomorrow is not enough. Voluntary best practices-which seem to be the tool of choice right now-are fine, if they are implemented quickly. But untimely implementation may be no protection at all. So when voluntary efforts fail, I believe mandatory implementation may better service the public interest. We should have learned that with the rules that implemented E911.”
A key issue in an FCC proposal to overhaul the nation’s Cold War-era emergency alert system key is whether participation in a new emergency warning system should remain voluntary for mass media and possibly for telecom carriers and Internet service providers.
In addition to recommending that Martin name a homeland-security commissioner, Copps said the FCC should establish an office dedicated to helping local public-safety organizations share ideas, prepare plans, discuss proposals and coordinate plans with industry and government. Moreover, Copps said there is a challenge of better integrating hospitals, healthcare centers and doctors into the national emergency response communications system.
“We have a new chairman at the FCC. I know he is committed to homeland security, and I intend to work closely with him and all my colleagues to make sure we do our part,” said Copps.
Martin’s office did not respond to several requests to comment on this story.
