[courtesy Karen, Radio Club of America]  It is with great sadness that I report to you that Joseph Y. Nasser, Ph.D passed away on December 27, 2011 after a brief illness.  He was hospitalized on Christmas Eve with what his family thought was pheumonia.  He apparently took a turn for the worse Monday and passed away on Tuesday.  Joe had requested no funeral service.  Here is the link to Joe’s Obit http://www.bevisfh.com/obituaries/Joseph-Nasser/#/Obituary.  Joe was Vice-President and General Manager of the Public Safety Information Systems Division at RCC Consultants, Inc.  He was a Radio Club Member and Fellow since 1987, as well as a past president of APCO.

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(courtesy Andy Seybold and PS Advocate) – Santa Claus is not bringing the D block to Public Safety this Christmas!  However the Public Safety Alliance continues to work with Congressional leaders to come up with a bill that will work for Public Safety.  The spectrum contents of the House bill:  3630 did include the D block and did not include sufficient network funding, but most importantly called for Public Safety to give back the 12 MHz of 700 MHz narrowband spectrum five years after voice services are available over LTE.  Please note that the wording of the bill does not call for Mission Critical voice, but only voice capabilities, and that the decision would be made by the network administrator, a for-profit organization which would be empowered by the bill to run the network.

Obviously, this bill is not acceptable to the Public Safety community.  The Public Safety Alliance and others continue to back the Senate 911 bill, which calls for no spectrum give back, more funding, and a governance organization, in which Public Safety will have a say as to how the network is built out and how the funding is handled.

There will be a renewed push by Public Safety in early 2012 to get legislation which is based on S. 911 passed by both Houses of Congress.

There will be no Public Safety News Advocate recap next week.  The next one is scheduled for Friday, January 5, 2012!

Happy Holidays to all, and may Public Safety prevail in 2012!

Andy

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While much activity has taken place in the past week regarding H.R. 3630; the Middle Class Payroll Tax Reduction Extension Act of 2011, little progress has resulted at this point. APCO International’s government relations staff issued an update on December 22, 2011.  It provides good background on the pending legislation, where we are now, and what comes next.

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2011 ERC Winter Meeting – Joint SAFECOM and NCSWIC Meeting – This slide deck provides meeting content presented during the December 6, 2011 Joint SAFECOM and National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC) meetings.

The Joint SAFECOM and NCSWIC Slide Deck is now available on the SAFECOM Website at the link below:

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Please contact your two United States senators today and urge your senators to support "S. 911: Allocation of D Block Spectrum, Sufficient Funding & Proper Governance to Public Safety for a Nationwide Broadband Network".

The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, (APCO) International and the Public Safety Alliance urge you contact your two US Senators to ask them to support S. 911 (the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011), a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators John "Jay" Rockefeller, IV (D-WV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) that allocates the D Block of spectrum directly to public safety, provides sufficient funding, and establishes an effective governance structure to construct and oversee a nationwide public safety wireless broadband network.

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(Courtesy Paul Kirby and others, TR Daily) – The House early this evening passed by a 234-193 vote a tax extenders package that includes spectrum legislation, setting up a fight with the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has said the measure has no chance of being approved due to controversial non-spectrum provisions, including one dealing with an oil pipeline project.  The White House also announced today that President Obama would veto the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 (HR 3630).

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It is important to remind everyone in public safety that the 700 MHz band represents the vast bulk of the nationwide interoperability spectrum.  The 700 MHz band has more nationally-designated interoperability channels (32) than all of the other public safety bands combined.  In fact, if you consider that all of these are paired, if an agency has equipment that will allow both sides of the pairs to be used this single band gives them potentially (depending on their particular configuration/use at the time) more than twice as many channels as all of the other bands combined.

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LEXINGTON, KY – State and local governments are sharing IT resources through the creative use of cloud computing, according to "Capitals in the Clouds Part III – Recommendations for Mitigating Risks: Jurisdictional, Contracting and Service Levels," an issue brief released today by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO).  This report is also available for download on NASCIO's website at www.nascio.org/publications.

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Through Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS), for the first time, the public can receive local and national emergency alerts on their mobile devices without having to opt-in to a service.  Throughout 2012, DHS S&T, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the alerts and warnings community, including industry representatives, will conduct a series of regional pilots and forum discussions to help the alerts and warnings stakeholders take full advantage of CMAS.

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Please contact representatives Fred Upton and Greg Walden and ask them to support D Block allocation, $10 billion in funding for a nationwide public safety broadband network, and to oppose any give-back of public safety’s existing 700 MHz narrowband spectrum.

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November 28, 2011, Meeting via Conference Call

NPSTC is holding its final 2011 Meeting via Conference Call on Monday, November 28, 2011, at 1:00 pm–5:00 pm EST.  The NPSTC Meeting Agenda and Meeting Slides are located below and on the Meetings Page.  Join us in improving public safety communications and interoperability through collaborative leadership.  Together we can create a unified voice for public safety.

Call in:  (888) 569-3956 | Access Code: 1568341977#  NEW!

• NPSTC Meeting Agenda
• NPSTC Meeting Agenda and Meeting Slides

 

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February 24, 2012, In Person at IWCE in Las Vegas, Nevada

Come Join NPSTC at IWCE for its Meeting on February 24, 2012.  NPSTC will hold its first 2012 in-person Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, following the IWCE Conference.  We will meet in room S226 of the convention center at 8:30 am–5:00 pm.  Agendas will be posted closer to the meeting.  Join NPSTC's leadership at the meeting to learn who we are, what activities we are currently working on to improve public safety telecommunications, and how you can share YOUR input on the critical issues facing the public safety telecommunications community today.  Come visit NPSTC's booth; we will be welcoming interested attendees at our booth, number 9075, on Wednesday, February 22, and Thursday, February 23.

Regular Working Group conference calls are posted on the NPSTC Calendar so you can participate and keep up to date on issues between our Meetings.

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Congratulations to this year's DeMello Award winner, Marilyn Ward.  An advocate of public safety telecommunications progress for almost 40 years, Marilyn Ward has dedicated her life's work to the advancement of interoperability among emergency responders.  Chief Harlin McEwen presented the award at the Radio Club of America 102nd Annual Awards Banquet.  "Marilyn Ward has been an untiring champion of improving public safety communications for many years," Chief McEwen said.  "As the first Chair of NPSTC, she was able to bring together representatives of organizations who traditionally did not work well with each other.  We have waited far too long to recognize the person mainly responsible for the many years of success we have seen at NPSTC.  I am pleased that I will be able to present this award to my longtime friend Marilyn Ward."  Learn more about Marilyn Ward's career.

Alan Caldwell Honored at RCA

Congratulations to Chief Alan Caldwell, who was voted a Fellow of the Radio Club of America at the RCA dinner.

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February 24, 2012, In Person at IWCE in Las Vegas, Nevada

Come Join NPSTC at IWCE for its Meeting on February 24, 2012.  NPSTC will hold its first 2012 in-person Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, following the IWCE Conference.  We will meet in room S226 of the convention center at 8:30 am–5:00 pm.  Agendas will be posted closer to the meeting.  Join NPSTC's leadership at the meeting to learn who we are, what activities we are currently working on to improve public safety telecommunications, and how you can share YOUR input on the critical issues facing the public safety telecommunications community today.  Come visit NPSTC's booth; we will be welcoming interested attendees at our booth, number 9075, on Wednesday, February 22, and Thursday, February 23.

Regular Working Group conference calls are posted on the NPSTC Calendar so you can participate and keep up to date on issues between our Meetings.

Free Exhibit Hall Registration now open for IWCE, February 22-23, 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, register by December 9 to SAVE.  NPSTC participants will receive 25% off the conference price if you mention code G2 when registering.

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(courtesy Andrew Seybold)  The Super Committee has failed to reach agreement and the chance of the Public Safety D-Block re-allocation and funding for the Nationwide Broadband network is delayed, once again.  However, the Public Safety community has been told that the plan now is to get the Senate Bill S 911 passed by the Senate either as a stand alone bill or as an attachment to another bill.  Once this is done it will put pressure on the House to introduce a companion bill for action.

Also, in my last News email I asked you all to take part in a NPTSC survey on Priority and Quality of Service, however the link to the survey did not come accross to the email.  Therefore, please find the link below and please take a few minutes and complete the questionnaire.

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/625789/NPSTC-Priority-QoS-Survey

Thank you and have a great Thanksgiving.

Andy

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This draft report identifies the key architectural elements that are critical for a next generation public safety broadband network.  Once finalized, the report will be used by NIST to help design a R&D program in anticipation of the President's Wireless Innovation (WIN) Fund, and specifically the $300 million the President has requested for a Public Safety Innovation Fund (PSIF).

Comments are due by 5 p.m. EDT on December 19 and should be sent to Suzanne Lightman at suzanne.lightman@nist.gov.  The draft report is now online at http://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/index.cfm under Resources, or at http://www.nist.gov/director/vcat/upload/vcat-public-safety-subcommitte.pdf.

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The House Homeland Security Committee's emergency preparedness, response, and communications subcommittee plans to hold a hearing Nov. 17 on coordination and cooperation among the Department of Homeland Security's emergency communications offices.  The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 pm in room 311 of the Cannon House Office Building.  The invited witnesses include Eric Edwards, director of the Disaster Emergency Communications Division at the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Chris Essid, director of the Office of Emergency Communications; John O'Connor, manager of the National Coordinating Center for Communications; and Damon Penn, assistant administrator – National Continuity Programs at FEMA.  "This hearing will provide Subcommittee Members with an opportunity to review the various offices within the Department of Homeland Security with emergency communications responsibilities and determine whether these offices effectively coordinate, whether there is any duplication of efforts or efficiencies that could be gained, and whether these offices provide consistent guidance and requirements to States and localities," said Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R., Fla.), the subcommittee's chairman.

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Please join NPSTC in congratulating Marilyn Ward, this year's DeMello winner.  Join us at RCA in Dallas TX on November 19 to congratulate her in person.

For more on Marilyn, click here.



Registration Deadline Extended to Nov 7

The Radio Club of America has moved its 102nd Annual Awards Banquet to the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, Texas.  Deputy Chief Charles Dowd, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Communications Section of the Office of Technology and Systems Development is scheduled to be the keynote speaker, and NPSTC will present its prestigious Richard DeMello Award.  Beginning in 2005, NPSTC has presented an annual award to one public safety communications person who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state, and national public safety communications arena.

For more information, contact Karen Clark at 303.948.4921, or Karen@radioclubofamerica.org.

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FEMA has an app for that…  That’s right, everyone can now have disaster information at their fingertips on their smartphones.  FEMA has developed an app that works on Android and Mobile Web.  The best part is that the information is still available on your phone even when you do not have a network connection.  To get the app, go to the phone's 'Market' or to the Apps store on your phone and search for 'FEMA'.  Additional information about the app can be found at the following website:  http://www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/5552

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The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) is pleased to announce the release of the Public Safety Communications Evolution brochure.  This brochure was developed to help educate the public safety community and elected and appointed officials about the future of emergency communications; describe the evolution of emergency communications and how traditional land mobile radio (LMR) communications used today may converge with wireless broadband in the future if specific requirements are met; and further discuss some of the most important requirements that must be met to achieve the desired long-term state of convergence.

Your input and efforts were instrumental to the development of this important document and is greatly appreciated.

This document will be posted to the SAFECOM and DHS (search OEC) websites this week.  Please share this important document with your stakeholders.

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Have you narrowbanded yet?  How about your neighbors?  In just a little over a year, on January 1, 2013, the FCC has mandated that all public safety and business industrial land mobile radio (LMR) systems operating in the 150–512 MHz radio bands must cease operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology and begin operating on channel bandwidths of 12.5 kHz or less, or that meet a specific efficiency standard, e.g., utilize two- or four-slot TDMA.  Don’t get caught short.  NPSTC's Narrowbanding Page has many resources to help you get started.

IMPORTANT REMINDER!  The narrowbanding dates are still in force.  Although a bill has been submitted to change the dates, THE BILL HAS NOT BEEN MADE LAW and the current January 1, 2013, is still the narrowbanding deadline.

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Ottawa is the place to be from December 4 to 7 for the Fifth Canadian Public Safety Interoperability Workshop, and this year's event is shaping up to be the best ever with lots of great new speakers, workshops and new exhibitors. The agenda (just released and draft/subject to change) features:

• A Special Workshop on Social Media for Emergency Management – A "Hands On" Tutorial
• A Slave Lake Case Study
• Implementing a 700 MHz Broadband Network for Mission Critical Public Safety Data in New York City, featuring Deputy Chief Charles Dowd from NYPD
• 700 MHz for Mission Critical Public Safety Data in Canada:  Why should I care?
• Arctic and Remote Interoperability – Challenges and Opportunities
• Networked/Connected Vehicles – What it means to Public Safety Interoperability
• Communications Interoperability around the world – How Non-Governmental Organizations Manage
• Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System – Advancing on the Interoperability Continuum
• Public Private Partnership for Communications Interoperability Projects:  Making it Real
• Workshops on Regional Interoperability Strategic Planning, Provincial Updates, P25 Updates, Interoperability Research and much more!

For more information, go to http://www.cacp.ca/index/eventscontent?contentId=1048.

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November 28, 2011, Meeting via Conference Call

NPSTC will hold our final 2011 Meeting via Conference Call on Monday, November 28, 2011, at 1:00 pm–5:00 pm EST.  An agenda will be on the Meetings Page closer to the date of the meeting.  Join us in improving public safety communications and interoperability through collaborative leadership.  Together we can create a unified voice for public safety.


February 24, 2012, In Person at IWCE in Las Vegas, Nevada

Come Join NPSTC at IWCE for its Meeting on February 24, 2012.  NPSTC will hold its first 2012 in-person Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, following the IWCE Conference.  We will meet in room S226 of the convention center at 8:30 am–5:00 pm.  Agendas will be posted closer to the meeting.  Join NPSTC's leadership at the meeting to learn who we are, what activities we are currently working on to improve public safety telecommunications, and how you can share YOUR input on the critical issues facing the public safety telecommunications community today.  Come visit NPSTC's booth; we will be welcoming interested attendees at our booth, number 9075, on Wednesday, February 22, and Thursday, February 23.

Regular Working Group conference calls are posted on the NPSTC Calendar so you can participate and keep up to date on issues between our Meetings.

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When a major traffic accident occurs on the highway, local 911 centers receive increased numbers of calls alerting them of the accident.  When Next Generation 911 (NG911) is widely available, how will the PSAPs manage the volume of text messages they are sure to receive?  The NG9-1-1 What's Next Forum, convened by the Transportation Safety Advancement Group (TSAG) at the request of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (JPO), examined that issue through panels of law enforcement, fire/rescue, emergency medical services, and transportation professions at a forum that asked questions about the changes NG911 will create and how to address them.

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Registration Deadline Extended to Nov 7

The Radio Club of America has moved its 102nd Annual Awards Banquet to the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, Texas.  Deputy Chief Charles Dowd, Commanding Officer of the NYPD Communications Section of the Office of Technology and Systems Development is scheduled to be the keynote speaker, and NPSTC will present its prestigious Richard DeMello Award.  Beginning in 2005, NPSTC has presented an annual award to one public safety communications person who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state, and national public safety communications arena.

For more information, contact Karen Clark at 303.948.4921, or Karen@radioclubofamerica.org.

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NPSTC submits these Comments in response to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) request in the above-captioned proceeding.   In these comments, NPSTC recommends NIST focus primarily on those areas that require research, not just proper deployment, and that any research and development program be planned and executed in close concert with the local and state public safety community and relevant industry experts.

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In 2009 the APCO Executive Board established the ProCHRT taskforce to deal with the various human resources issues that plague America's communications centers.  Items such as basic training requirements, proper shift work alignment and years of service required to receive a full retirement are but a few of the issues that ProCHRT has studied.  This report is the aggregate result of two years of in-depth research, interviews and surveys designed to identify the key human resource issues that adversely affect our telecommunicator workforce.

   APCO ProCHRT Report Link

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The Priority Parameter Questionnaire has been developed on behalf of the NPSTC Broadband Priority & QoS Working Group, which is leading the effort to develop requirements for the Priority & QoS framework for the nationwide Public Safety LTE Broadband Network.

The primary source document is the "NPSTC 700 MHz Broadband SoR v0.6, Section 5.6 Prioritization, Quality of Service and Pre-Emption." This document, released in 2007, is in the process of being revised.

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The 2012 APCO Western Regional Conference in Anchorage is just around the corner.  Reserve your place at what promises to be a great conference with attendees from the entire country, an exciting educational program and an opportunity to see new equipment and products all in one place!  If you would like to volunteer please email Susan Lamasko.  We have lots of work to do.  We are still accepting Call for Paper proposals, sponsorships and exhibiters.

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Book Now to Attend NPSTC's Committee Meetings.  NPSTC is holding its quarterly Committee meetings on September 29-30 in Orlando, FL.  The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn International Airport, Orlando, situated just a mile from the airport.

Reports and Agenda Documents can be found on the Meetings Page, under "September 29-30, 2011 - Orlando, FL", under the "Meeting Documents" tab.

   Meeting Details
   Thursday, September 29, 2011 Agenda
   Friday, September 30, 2011 Agenda
   Post Meeting Survey

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This month our Nation marked the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The events of that day revealed just how important coordination and interoperable communications are to the critical work of emergency responders who save lives, every day, in our cities and towns across the Nation. While the attacks were dramatic and tragic events for our Nation, they highlighted the concerns about the vital need for improved emergency communications and were an important catalyst for change.

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(by Colin Wood and courtesy govtech.com)  Ten years in the making, Colorado’s vision of perfecting communication between public safety agencies will finally begin.  This week the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) announced a new program offering free radio training to law enforcement and other first responders that will allow agencies statewide to communicate more effectively with one another.

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NIST has just released a Federal Register Notice soliciting comment on research & development priorities for the nationwide public safety broadband network. Input received from this FRN will be used by NIST to help develop R&D priorities in anticipation of the President's Wireless Innovation (WIN) Fund, and specifically the $500 million the President requested for the Public Safety Innovation Fund (PSIF).

The FRN lists numerous desirable features, gathered through input from public safety and industry, and organized around the overarching themes of resiliency; reliability and availability; security; and affordability and commercial alignment. NIST is seeking input on the importance of these features, gaps that are preventing the full realization of the features, possible R&D, challenges, and best practices.

Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. on October 12, 2011, to Dereck Orr, dereck.orr@nist.gov.

To access the Federal Register Notice:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-12/pdf/2011-23180.pdf for PDF or
here for HTML version http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-12/html/2011-23180.htm.

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NPSTC letter to FCC re 700 MHz and Clarifications to Rules for Uniform Implementation of Voice Operability and Interoperability Channels, and Outstanding Petitions for Rulemaking.

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Free Exhibit Hall Registration now open for IWCE, February 22-23, 2012 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, register by December 9 to SAVE.  NPSTC participants will receive 25% off the conference price if you mention code G2 when registering.

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Below is a letter to Chief Harlin McEwen from Leslie Burdick of C-SPAN, concerning recent August 31st “Communicators” interview, which aired Saturday, 9/10/2011, and also Monday, 9/12/2011:

Chief McEwen,

C-SPAN wants to give you a heads up about the “Communicators” program with you and James Brown [Virginia Office of Emergency Management].  It will air this Saturday and again on Monday.  It will be Saturday [9/10/2011] at 6:30 p.m. [EDT] on C-SPAN.  And then again on Monday [9/12/2011] at 8:00 a.m. [EDT] & 8 p.m [EDT]. on C-SPAN2.  (Note that Saturday it’s on C-SPAN, and Monday it’s on C-SPAN2.)

Also, here is link to the program, which is posted online today and for the next week:

http://www.c-span.org/Events/Harlin-McEwen-International-Association-of-Chiefs-of-Police-John-Brown-Virginia-Office-of-Emergency-Management/10737423849-2/

[30 minutes in length]

Thank you for being on the program.  It’s a valuable way to look ahead as well as look back. C-SPAN appreciates it.

We look forward to seeing what happens with your efforts on the D-block.

Thanks,

Leslie Burdick

C-SPAN

 Should the above link expire before you’ve had the opportunity to view this interview, you can also view it from the C-SPAN archived location at:

 http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/McE

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(courtesy Forbes.com , Andrew Seybold, Contributor) - Inadequate communication systems costs lives.  Here it is 10 years after the attacks on 9/11 and first responders still cannot communicate with each other during disasters.  The lack of interoperability in communications came to the public's attention during 9/11 and also during Katrina.  It cost lives, not only the lives of citizens but the lives of a number of first responders, as well.  The papers were full of the details of this lack of communications capability, and the 9/11 Commission cited correction of this defect as one of its major recommendations.

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed a series of Technical Notes (TN) to support improved radio communications for the public safety community in difficult radio environments.  The study was prompted in part by problems noted during 9/11, which demonstrated some significant shortcomings in the knowledge of radio frequency (RF) propagation in emergency response environments.  This resulted in poor interoperability between radio systems, the inability to communicate with responders deep within structures, and ineffective use of radio transmitters buried in collapsed material (emergency beacons).  Additionally there is a problem broadcasting from large buildings generally.  Three of the TNs describe experiments that measured received signal strength in structures before, during, and after implosion.  The following TNs focus on RF propagation into large buildings, with no implosion results.

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(NPSTC Broadband Working Group) - The term mission critical voice has been used within the public safety community for decades, but there has been no one single complete definition of mission critical voice.  The effort to establish an accepted definition for mission critical voice was undertaken by NPSTC because as public safety transitions to the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Wireless Network voice communications may transition from today’s Land Mobile Radio (LMR) channelized narrowband voice systems to voice over the broadband network.  If this transition is to be accomplished, it is imperative that those companies who will be developing the technology to provide voice over broadband fully understand all of the requirements that make up public safety mission critical voice.

 This document is not designed to provide a road map for those who desire to build mission critical voice into wireless broadband technologies, but has been written to provide a basis for a common understanding of the meaning of and the multiple requirements of mission critical voice.

 The key elements for the definition of mission critical voice include the following:

• Direct or Talk Around
• Push-to-Talk (PTT)
• Full Duplex Voice Systems
• Group Call
• Talker Identification
• Emergency Alerting
• Audio Quality

Each of these components is essential to provide mission critical voice over any type of network.  The definition for each of these elements must be fully understood.  The Mission Critical Voice Requirements document discusses each of these areas in greater detail and provides a definition of each of the elements.  It is important to understand that for a network to fully support public safety mission critical voice communications each and every one of these elements must address part of the overall voice communications services supported by the network.  A network cannot be a mission critical network without ALL of these elements.

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The 9/11 Commission Report, issued in July 2004, made 41 recommendations for keeping our country safe.  These recommendations were endorsed by almost every member of Congress.  We have reflected often on why the 9/11 Commission was successful.  Importantly, the statutory mandate for the Commission was limited, precise, and clear – the Commission was authorized to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the attacks and to make recommendations to keep the country safe; the Commission had an extraordinary non-partisan staff, the members of which possessed deep expertise and conducted their work with thoroughness and professionalism; the Commissioners had deep experience in government and political credibility with different constituencies; the final report was unanimous and bipartisan; families of the victims of 9/11 provided solid and sophisticated support throughout the life of the Commission and in the years since; and following the Commission, the Commissioners and staff continue to work closely with Congress and the executive branch to implement and monitor reform.  Now, on the solemn occasion of the 10th anniversary of the attacks, is an appropriate time to reflect and evaluate where we are in national security reform – and what we have yet to achieve.  The attached Report Card identifies that after ten years, nine (9) of the 41 recommendations made in the 9/11 Commission Report still have not been fully implemented.  Unmet recommendations include Unity of Command and Effort (ICS) and Radio Spectrum and Interoperability.  As can be seen in the Report Card (attached), the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Security Preparedness Group Report Card supports the allocation of D Block to Public Safety.

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The PSCR has recently published a report on in-building Bi-Directional Amplifiers (BDAs).  The report "In-Building Radio Enhancement Systems for Public Safety" (IBRES) was written for public safety communication professionals tasked with assisting building owners in fulfilling in-building public safety communications requirements.

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(courtesy Aliya Sternstein, nextgov) - Emergency phone and Internet systems have been deployed for federal radiological responders to aid Virginia's North Anna nuclear power plant in the event any problems develop as a result of Tuesday's earthquake or the arrival of Hurricane Irene, agency officials said.

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Book Now to Attend NPSTC's Committee Meetings.  NPSTC is holding its quarterly Committee meetings on September 29-30 in Orlando, FL.  The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn International Airport, Orlando, situated just a mile from the airport.

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The TCIP Conference will take place from August 30 - September 1, 2011 at the Gaylord National Harbor Conference Center and will highlight Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and DHS technologies; research, development, testing, and evaluation investments; and training tools currently available and being developed for the emergency response community. The event will also provide a forum for emergency responders to discuss best practices and exchange information. With 1,000 attendees and 150 exhibits and demonstrations expected, this conference is expected to offer a unique opportunity for emergency responders; business and industry; academia; and local, tribal, State, and Federal stakeholders to network, exchange ideas, and address common critical incident technology, preparedness, response and recovery needs, protocols, and solutions. For more information on this event, please visit www.TCIPexpo.com

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Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee released staff discussion draft legislation that was discussed at the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing July 15 on spectrum legislation. The draft, titled the Spectrum Innovation Act of 2011, has a number of controversial provisions, including imposing a ban on the future use of public safety spectrum for narrowband communications. It would require the D block to be re-auctioned, but doesn't include any specific funding for the construction of a public safety broadband network, and would authorize the FCC to hold incentive auctions.

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A straight-talking, compelling video that will help the public and its officials understand what interoperability is and why it is imperative that public safety be able to talk to one another. Illustrated with the real-life examples of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Washington, D.C. sniper, the video provides a clear concise description of the DHS Interoperability Continuum and how it works to improve interoperable communications.

Produced by Williamson County, Tennessee through the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Plan (IECGP) funds in cooperation with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)

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The Journal of Homeland Security has published the proceedings of the 2011 DHS Science Conference – 5th Annual University Network Summit, focused on Catastrophes and Complex Systems: Transportation. Thirty-seven white papers from the Summit, held March 30–April 1 in Washington, DC, are now available in a special on-line issue published on June 21, 2011 at: Homeland Security Journal DHS University Summit 2011.

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(courtesy Paul Kirby, TR Daily) - Vice President Joe Biden said today that he is optimistic that Congress will pass legislation that would reallocate the 700 megahertz band D block to public safety and reserve funding for the construction of a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network. Mr. Biden was joined by other top Obama administration officials and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski at a White House event designed to help build momentum for the legislation, which its supporters want on the president’s desk by the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

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Non-Member Survey Information:

The Radio Club of America Membership and Long Range Planning Committee would like to encourage all of you to send this survey link to any professional group where you think there may be interest in joining the Radio Club.  Many of you previously indicated that you were members of other wireless associations with members who could potentially join or otherwise be engaged with the Radio Club of America.  Now is the time for you to help out!  We are looking for potential members to gauge their level of awareness for the organization and to solicit their comments.  Please send this survey link to any and all groups that you think would be prime targets to become members or sponsors.  The “non-member” survey promotional visual is attached and here is the link to the non-member survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JMY6VDP.

Member Survey Information:

The “member” survey is at this link:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JXH97VC .  Please feel free to click the “member” survey link to answer the member survey directly!

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(courtesy Brian Hammond, TR Daily) - The public safety needs of states and localities vary widely, so first responders today said they would welcome additional flexibility in how grant funds can be used.

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(courtesy Andrew M. Seybold) - On March 18, 2011, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which is a part of the Library of Congress, submitted a memorandum that has been used by some in the House to level charges that since 2001 the Public Safety Community has wasted $13 billion in grants and wasted spectrum resources as well.

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(editorial, courtesy NY Times) - As the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania draws near, one of the main recommendations of the 9/11 Commission remains unfulfilled: the creation of a common communications system that lets emergency responders talk to one another across jurisdictions.

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(courtesy Andrew M. Seybold) - Several weeks ago I gave a talk to the Northern California Chapter of APCO and I am currently preparing for my LTE 101 speech at the APCO Broadband Summit in Washington, DC next month.  As I review my presentation and plan for the new one, I think it would be appropriate to share some of my observations about LTE broadband and how it differs from traditional conventional, trunked, and P-25 Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems.

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NPSTC congratulates the Commission on issuing such a comprehensive Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  NPSTC supports a nationwide architecture with provisions for regional control, together with rules essential to nationwide interoperability.  NPSTC believes the key question is what rules are essential to nationwide interoperability, which will be dependent on the architecture and governance decided upon for public safety broadband.  NPSTC cautions against codifying too many detailed rules at this early stage of broadband deployment.  Given the many detailed rules proposed, it is likely that a number of the rules would need to be modified based on additional deployment and operational experience yet to come.  You can view the filed comments to the FNPRM from NPSTC, PSST, and others at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?z=d3txl&name=06-150.

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It is finally here and that is the Interoperability Continuum video "Are We Prepared" This short film had its red carpet interoperable debut at the 3rd Annual Tennessee Interoperability Conference two weeks ago. The film received high praises from the critics and is in the running for 2 Continuum awards. If you go to www.tninterop.com you will have three choices to click. 1st is the trailer for the film, 2nd the film in full length all 19 minutes and 3rd the bloopers from the film. If you would like to receive a free copy of "Are We Prepared" just click the link and fill out the information and one will be shipped to you as soon as possible. So sit back and enjoy the Interoperable Continuum as it comes to life.

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The FCC requires all 700 MHz state license authorizations to indicate how much progress they have made towards the advancement of their respective 700 MHz system by April 26, 2012. State licensees who do not meet the April 26, 2012 deadline will be subject to loss of spectrum.  Recovered state license spectrum will revert to the Regional Planning Committee for administration.

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Open access.  No registration or sign-in is required.  Showing real-time Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) sensor data, integrated and shared among local, state, federal, commercial and NatLabs stakeholders.  Go to: www.ConferenceOn.TV.

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Help Us Help You by Filling Out a Brief Narrowbanding Questionnaire

On January 1, 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that all public safety and business industrial land mobile radio (LMR) systems operating in the 150-512 MHz radio bands must cease operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology, and begin operating using at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology.

The FCC mandate to narrowband is 2 short years away. NPSTC has created a Narrowbanding Questionnaire to ascertain the status of narrowbanding across the country.  Completing this questionnaire will help the FCC assist jurisdictions to develop helpful strategies to accomplish the narrowbanding goal.  Questionnaire can also be accessed by pasting the following link into your browser: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e35mhk20ggwakvl5/start

You may receive this notice from more than one source because NPSTC wants to ensure as many of the affected LMR users fill out the questionnaire and access the narrowbanding assistance available on NPSTC's website and FCC's website.  Please forward this notice to other agencies or persons who may be affected by the narrowbanding mandate.

Who Is Affected: This mandate affects more than just public safety.  In general it affects any users operating at VHF (150-174 MHz) and UHF (421-512 MHz) utilizing Part 90 frequencies.  This includes but is not limited to public safety, public works, utilities, hospitals, higher education, and K-12 schools.  If you are uncertain if this will affect your radio operations or if you need more information on the steps to begin your narrowbanding effort, please click on the above hyperlinks or insert the following link into your browser: http://www.npstc.org/narrowbanding.jsp

Personal Assistance Available: The NPSTC narrowbanding page includes a map of the United States.  When a specific state is selected, the map will display contact information for local, knowledgeable contacts who can provide information on the narrowbanding process.  These contacts come from the State’s Interoperability Coordinators, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Regional Coordinators, local public safety frequency advisors, and National Regional Planning Council (NRPC) members, plus additional persons who have volunteered to assist in the process.

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A Fire and Safety Building Guide to Green Construction - The National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) is proud to announce the release of its fire and building safety guide to green construction called "Bridging the Gap: Fire Safety and Green Buildings."  This guide identifies some of the key areas where rapidly growing green building construction issues coincide with building and fire safety needs.

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"I am proud to announce that President Obama has proclaimed December 2010 "Critical Infrastructure Protection Month."  The proclamation demonstrates the President's commitment to what you do each day to help keep the country safe." - Todd M. Keil, Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Protection, Department of Homeland Security

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The Fifth Annual Richard DeMello Award was presented to Alan Caldwell, who served for over 30 years as a volunteer firefighter in the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire and Rescue Department and as an operational chief fire officer for over 20 years, at the Radio Club of America dinner in New York City.  Mr. Caldwell serves currently as Senior Adviser in the Government Relations Department at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).  Upon receiving the award, Mr. Caldwell said he was very proud to be the fifth recipient of the award.  "Dick DeMello was a key player in uniting 15 very different and sometimes contentious groups to form the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council – affectionately known as "Nip Stick."  He said, "Dick would be pleased with the progress that NPSTC has achieved today.  It is viewed by public safety agencies, as well as by Congress and the administration, as a primary source of technical information and guidance for sound public policy.  On communications issues, it is the collective voice for more than 2½ million public safety first responders."  A complete bio of Mr. Caldwell and the rest of his remarks will be in the Fall NPSTC newsletter to be released soon.

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Please note that the date for the Workshop has changed from February 15-17, 2011 to February 16-18, 2011.  Please see the invitation for more information.  The Workshop will still be held at the Marriott Hotel in Boulder, Colorado.

To prepare for the upcoming meeting, please do the following:

• RSVP by Friday, January 14, 2011 by clicking on the "Register Now" link below.
• Invitational Travel is available for practitioners.  If you think you might be eligible for invitational travel, please e-mail VQIPS_Working_Group@sra.com no later than Friday, January 14, 2011.
• While agenda specifics are still being finalized, we are providing the following guidance for participants about booking your travel:
  • If this is the 1st VQiPS meeting you are attending:
    • Please plan to arrive on the night of Tuesday, February 15th so that you can attend meetings that will begin on Wednesday morning.  Relevant meetings will conclude the night of Thursday, February 17th.
  • If you are a practitioner:
    • Please make your travel arrangements to arrive before 1:00PM on Wednesday, February 16th.  Relevant meetings will conclude the night of Thursday, February 17th.
  • If you are a speaker/presenter:
    • Please make your travel arrangements to arrive on the morning of Tuesday, February 15th.  Relevant meetings will conclude the night of Thursday, February 17th.
  • If you are a technologist:
    • Please make your travel arrangements to arrive before 1:00PM on Wednesday, February 16th.  Relevant meetings will conclude on Friday, February 18th around 4PM.
• More details including hotel accommodation information and the meeting agenda will follow.
• If you have questions, please e-mail VQIPS_Working_Group@sra.com.

See you in Boulder!

• Register Now: February 16-18, 2011: VQiPS 2011 Workshop
• VQiPS 2011 Workshop Invitation
• VQiPS Working Group - SAFECOM Website
• February 2010 VQiPS Workshop Summary
• February 2009 VQiPS Conference Report
• VQiPS Fact Sheet
• Defining Video Quality Requirements: A Guide for Public Safety (Vol 1, Rel. 7/10)
• Public Safety Video Quality Website

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The Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council's (CSRIC) mission is to provide recommendations to the FCC to ensure, among other things, optimal security and reliability of communications systems, including telecommunications, media, and public safety.

More information can be found here: http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/advisory/csric/, or on the members page: http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/advisory/csric/members.html.

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NPSTC hosted a meeting to discuss troubling revisions to the intrinsically safe standard for electrical equipment, including Land Mobile Radio (LMR).  This revision to the standard that the public safety community only learned of last month would have a serious financial impact on the public safety community.

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The Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program is very pleased to announce the Winter 2010 PSCR 700MHz Demonstration Network Stakeholders Meeting to be held in Boulder, Colorado December 1st through 2nd, 2010.

The meeting is a follow-up to the Inaugural Stakeholders meeting held in April 2010 and will focus on the progress and future plans of the Demonstration Network.

Highlights of the meeting will include an LTE training session, requirements discussions, and presentations from the PSCR team, vendor stakeholders, and the FCC, as well as multiple networking opportunities.  Attendees will include representatives from Federal Agencies, Public Safety, Waiver Recipients, the research community, and Industry.   Our intended outcomes for the meeting include providing an understanding of where the Demonstration Network is, what results it intends on delivering, and where it needs to go in the future.

Sessions will run from 9:00 am Wednesday, December 1st through 5:00 pm Thursday, December 2nd.  In addition, PSCR will be hosting an invite-only, public safety/waiver recipient meeting Friday December 3rd that will take place in the morning only.  We sincerely hope that you will join us in making the Demonstration Network a success.

Please register no later than November 17, 2010 by visiting:
http://www.pscr.gov/
This is the official link for the meeting and will be updated regularly to include finalized agendas, etc.

Please reference the attached PDF document for information on hotel accommodations.  Lunch, beverages, and snacks will be provided both days for a flat fee of $30; to sign up for your lunch, be sure to complete the lunch registration/payment found on the meeting registration website, or at www.nistcafe.com.  Click on the "700MHz" button at the lower-right hand corner of the page, scroll down and click on the red "Pay Online" button to complete your lunch order.

To ensure timely processing of your security badges, please register no later than November 17, 2010.

If you believe you may be authorized (e.g. Waiver Recipient) for invitational travel, please contact us as soon as possible regarding travel arrangements, as PSCR will be coordinating all invitational travel arrangements.

If you have any questions, please contact Darcy Anton at 303 497-3755 or danton@corneralliance.com.

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Funds awarded under the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program may be used for narrowbanding projects; funds may be used to purchase equipment that meets narrowbanding equipment or to educate users about the requirements.  These expenditures must align with a State or Territory’s previously proposed and approved PSIC Investments.  However, PSIC funds cannot be used for the payment of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing fees associated with narrowbanding requirements.  Please direct specific questions about allowable PSIC expenditures to PSIC@dhs.gov.

Thank you,

Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Department of Homeland Security
FEMA Grant Programs Directorate
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/psic
PSIC@dhs.gov

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The Critical Infrastructure Awareness for State and Local Partners Training Program is a one day classroom training course.  The goal of the course is to inform, enable, and encourage State, local, tribal, territorial, and private partners to leverage the resources that enhance critical infrastructure key resources (CIKR) protection efforts.

If interested in registering or obtaining more information, please contact Sam.Cox@teexmail.tamu.edu.  Refer to course AWR-213.

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(courtesy Andrew M. Seybold, TRDaily) - Despite the importance of the Internet and communications networks, efforts to ensure their security remains largely reactive, and may continue to be so unless and until a major event triggers a more proactive approach, one expert suggested today.

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The Video Quality in Public Safety (VQiPS) 2011 Workshop will be held on February 15-17, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel in Boulder, Colorado.  

To prepare for the upcoming meeting, please do the following:

• RSVP by Friday, January 14, 2011 by clicking the "Register Now" link below
• Invitational Travel is available for practitioners.  If you think you might be eligible for invitational travel, please e-mail VQIPS_Working_Group@sra.com no later than Friday, January 14, 2011
• More details including hotel accommodation information and the meeting agenda will follow 
• If you have questions, please e-mail VQIPS_Working_Group@sra.com

See you in Boulder!

• Register Now: February 15-17, 2011: VQiPS 2011 Workshop
• VQiPS Working Group - SAFECOM Website
• February 2010 VQiPS Workshop Summary
• February 2009 VQiPS Conference Report
• VQiPS Fact Sheet
• Defining Video Quality Requirements: A Guide for Public Safety (Vol 1, Rel. 7/10)
• Public Safety Video Quality Website

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NPSTC wrote to the International Society of Automation (ISA) expressing its concerns about a proposed change to the intrinsically safe certification for radios and associated equipment, describing the implications of this change to existing and future systems.  The ANSI/ISA 60079 series for equipment used in hazardous locations are developed through the participation of manufacturers, regulators, and consultants as well as certification organizations such as FM Approvals.  It is a consensus industry standard that once published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ISA is adopted in the United States.

The ANSI/ISA 60079:2009 national standard has formally been adopted by every Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) in the U.S. (FM Approvals, UL, ITS and CSA), under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  In December 2006, FM Approvals informed industry of the proposed adoption of ANSI/ISA 60079-11: 2002 [the same as 60079-11:2009] version into FM 3610 with an initial effective date of January 2010, postponed until January 2012.

The standard is intended to harmonize existing IS standards across the U.S. and Europe, but the new standards may require redesign of intrinsically safe radios from the ground up in the U.S., potentially resulting in, lower power portables requiring more infrastructure, shorter battery capacity and premature obsolescence of existing batteries and accessories.  NPSTC is unsure whether the impact to Land Mobile Radio (LMR) intrinsically safe operations was considered by ISA 12 when it adopted the updated/harmonized version of 60079-11 and/or whether any consideration was ever given to the appropriateness of including LMR equipment in the general "electrical automation equipment" category, particularly in light of the fact that LMR equipment has seemingly not caused any problems operating in hazardous under the previous/existing certifications.

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Each year, NPSTC presents an award to one public safety communications person who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state, and national public safety communications arena.  NPSTC's Governing Board is pleased to present the 2010 Richard DeMello award, named to honor the achievements of Mr. DeMello, one of the founding fathers of NPSTC, to be announced.

The Radio Club of America will host its 101st Annual Award Dinner on Nov. 19 at the Park Central Hotel in New York City.  The keynote speaker will be, Martin Cooper, widely recognized as a pioneer and inventor in the personal and wireless telecommunications industry, who led the team at Motorola in the 1970s that developed the first handheld mobile phone.

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"Both cutting-edge broadband communications and traditional LMR technologies will need to coexist and interoperate for the foreseeable future," Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications. "OEC is working to build a comprehensive strategy in the form of an updated national emergency communications plan (NECP) to outline a dual-path strategy that will define how to effectively integrate these technologies into the national public-safety communications ecosystem." 

     MissionCritical Communications Website

Interview printed courtesy of MissionCritical Communications.  This interview first ran in the October 2010 issue of MissionCritical Communications.

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(The Secret List)

September 25, 2010 - We regret to advise you that last evening, a member of the Atlantic Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company of Accomack County (VA) died in the Line of Duty while operating at a brush fire in New Church (VA), suffering a medical emergency.  Additionally, it is reported that 3 other Firefighters were also transported to the hospital in nearby Maryland with heat-related emergencies thought to be NLT.

The Firefighter who died, Hal Clark, also served as President of the Atlantic VF&R Company.  Accomack is one of 2 counties that makes up Virginia's Eastern Shore, which lies between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.  Atlantic is one of 14 companies in the county.  Accomack borders Wicomico County, MD to the north.  Here is their website: http://www.esva.net/~atlanticvfd/.  As always, our sincere condolences.

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We urge you to watch this very important and informative video produced by Motorola in cooperation with the IAFC on radio best practices.  While radio manufacturers continue to diligently work on further noise reduction technologies, these simple and proven techniques can save your life.  Please take a few moments to watch and share this to all of your respective department/organization members.  Our thanks to Motorola for helping make this video for the fire service.  Let's take advantage of every opportunity to ensure that Everyone Goes Home!

     Say It Loud Video

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Motorola in cooperation with IAFC produced this very informative video on radio best practices.  While radio manufacturers continue to diligently work on further noise reduction technologies, these simple and proven techniques can save your life.  Please take a few moments to watch and share this to all of your respective department/organization members.  Let's take advantage of every opportunity to ensure that Everyone Goes Home!

     Say It Loud Video

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Tom Sorley, Deputy Director Radio Communications Technology, City of Houston, testifies before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, House Committee on Science and Technology.

Link to Hearings

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(courtesy Andrew M. Seybold) - During the past few weeks, I have been spending a lot of time on the issue of Public Safety Broadband and the D Block reallocation.  There are some very positive signs that the Executive Branch might now support this effort, and we are expecting to see the bills already introduced in Congress to be debated and perhaps acted upon after Congress returns on September 13, 2010.

[Two weeks ago], I received a copy of the most recent T-Mobile filing with the FCC in the form of a white paper that was supposed to refute comments about the FCC’s own white paper on capacity.  I said “supposed to” because as I was writing my rebuttal (PDF below) and discussing the points in the TMobile paper with others, it became clear that this paper actually supports the reallocation of the D Block for Public Safety.  How is that possible?

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) will hold its quarterly meeting on September 16-17, 2010, in Orlando, Florida, at the Holiday Inn Orlando International Airport Hotel, 5750 T.G. Lee Blvd.  For those who cannot attend in person, please join us by conference bridge: Call in (888) 569-3956 | ID 1568341977.

Walk-ins are welcome, but please visit NPSTC's website at http://www.npstc.org/meetingReservationForm.jsp to register for the meeting so we will know who is attending.  This assists the Support Office with administration, tracking, seating, and name tags.

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(courtesy Bill Schrier, Bill Schrier Blog) - Police officers and firefighters carry $5000 radios.  Local and state governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build public safety radio networks.  Yet, today, cell phone networks seem to be everywhere, most people carry a mobile phone and many of us think paying $199 for an iPhone is expensive.

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WASHINGTON — The inability of most firefighters and police officers to talk to each other on their radios on Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center — one of the most vexing problems on that day nine years ago — still has not been completely resolved.  (courtesy Edward Wyatt, NYTimes.com)

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The Fire Service is very close to successful legislation that will help to build and fund a Nationwide Public Safety Wireless Broadband Network which will transform emergency communications forever for all of public safety everywhere in the United States (tribal, local, state and federal).  We are at a pivotal point where every voice of the fire service is needed to send a message to each of our respective members of Congress.

Below are links to a 'Call to Action' prepared by the Public Safety Alliance (consisting of 7 national public safety organizations including the IAFC), which provides the information that explains why this is so important, and step-by-step instructions on how you can make this a reality.

     A message to the American Fire Service

     A message from the American Fire Service

     For additional information, you can also visit the website.

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Posted by Jamie Barnett - Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau

As the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is here, we are faced with a strong swirl of emotions and memories.  The unprecedented devastation that the Hurricane wrought was compounded by organizational troubles from many quarters.  As painful as it is for America, I want us to remember the death and destruction inflicted on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  I want us to remember the bravery and determination of the people who suffered through it.  And I want us to remember the valiant first responders, volunteers, members of the armed forces, and others who worked to save lives and property.  It is important that we not forget any of this.

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(courtesy Andrew Seybold) The Executive Branch of the Federal Government, or to be more precise, the White House CTO’s office, is setting up a September 1, 2010 meeting. “The intent of the meeting is to gather information on key issues/barriers from broadband vendors and wireless carriers regarding entry to Public Safety Broadband market.”  The issue of D Block reallocation is already the subject of much misinformation in many different governmental organizations, and from what I can see, this type of meeting will only add to the problem.

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Happy Anniversary!  It has been one year since the successful CMAS Forum was conducted in Arlington, Virginia on July 30th 2009, and we would like to recognize and thank you for your invaluable participation and commitment to the CMAS RDT&E effort and its major milestones over the past year, beginning with this momentous event.  To mark the one year anniversary of the CMAS Forum, we have put together a CMAS newsletter including a reflection on the past year, recent updates, and a look forward at what’s to come.

(On behalf of the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Program, led by the Command, Control and Interoperability (CCI) Division of the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS))

     CMAS Forum Website

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I am pleased to announce that the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) recently celebrated its second anniversary.  Since it was published in July 2008, the Nation’s first strategic plan for emergency communications has made quite a mark in the community.

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Catch up with all of the breaking D Block news on the NPSTC D Block webpage!

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(courtesy Howard Buskirk, Communications Daily) - Washington, New York, Boston, San Antonio and other local governments that received FCC waivers to build wireless networks using 700 MHz spectrum provided the commission with updates on their efforts.  In May, the agency approved 21 waiver requests on file at the commission.  Meanwhile, industry commenters offered advice to the FCC on rules for a 700 MHz network that would ensure nationwide interoperability, addressing critical issues including roaming and priority access.

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Today, Deputy Fire Chief Phil Dawson of the Richmond Hill Fire Department became the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group, or CITIG, 500th member — a milestone three years in the making!  CITIG is an Associate Member of NPSTC and a valued member of NPSTC.

Thank you to all CITIG supporters as we continue to work together to improve public safety interoperability in Canada and with our partners "South" of the border!

For more information or to join CITIG go to www.citig.ca.

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"Andy is one of the few individuals in the industry who sees the lines beginning to blur between commercial networks and private mobile radio, between broadband and narrowband technologies and between the IT department and the radio shop.  Whether you agree with him or not, having experience in all of these areas, Andy has a unique perspective that deserves listening to." - Stacey Black, VP Strategic Programs, AT&T Business Solutions, Mobility Product Management

     Incident Communications Part 1 of 3 (July 6, 2010, Andrew M. Seybold)

     Incident Communications Part 2 of 3 - A Knowledge Gap (July 13, 2010, Andrew M. Seybold)

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While targeted to State of Virginia Public Safety entities, the overall information on narrowbanding is presented in a very straightforward, understandable way, and should be useful for most ALL Part 90 VHF and UHF licensees.


Time is beginning to run short for any licensee who may still be procrastinating.  With less than 30 months left to plan and implement a narrowband migration path before the Jan 1, 2013 compliance date, perhaps sharing this video and this site, WirelessRadio.Net, could serve as reminders?  Waiting 'till the last possible minute - especially after having a minimum of 8+ years advance notice to act - is not recommended.  Don't delay - narrowband today!

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July 8, 2010 - FierceGovernmentIT.com Commentary on FCC Whitepaper by David Perera
     - FierceGovernmentIT.com Article

July 2, 2010 - House of Cards - FCC’s Capacity White Paper - Built on Assumptions and Conjecture (courtesy Public Safety Alliance (PSA), a project of APCO Intl.)
     - PSAFirst.org Article

July 2, 2010 - Motorola Also Files Ex Parte Disagreeing with FCC D Block Analysis
     - Motorola Ex Parte

July 1, 2010 - NPSTC Files Ex Parte Urging FCC to Rely on Real World Experience in D Block Decisions
     - Press Release

June 25, 2010 - Public Safety Reacts to FCC Findings, FCC 'Not Listening'; White Paper Finds Public Safety Only Needs 10 MHz
     - LawOfficer.com Article

June 21, 2010 - Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress (courtesy Linda K. Moore, Specialist in Telecommunications Policy, Congressional Research Service)
     - Report (D Block discussion begins on page 7)

June 16, 2010 - D Block Joint EMS Associations Send Letters to Congress
     - D Block Letter to the House
     - D Block Letter to the Senate

June 16, 2010 - Public Safety Community Unconvinced by New FCC Report (courtesy Joan Engebretson, Connected Planet Online)
     - Connected Planet Online Article

June 16, 2010 - Andrew Seybold Comments on FCC Capacity Whitepaper (courtesy www.AndrewSeybold.com)
     - Andrew Seybold Article
     - Andrew Seybold Comments

June 15, 2010 - FCC Releases Controversial Capacity Study Paper
     - FCC Capacity Study Paper

June 14, 2010 - US Conference of Mayors Adopts D Block Resolution (courtesy US Conference of Mayors)
     - USCoM Resolution
     - USCoM Ad

February 23, 2010 - City of New York Releases 700 MHz Broadband Public Safety Applications and Spectrum Requirements Whitepaper
     - NYC Whitepaper

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This event will sell out like in past!  Be sure to join us from December 5-8, 2010 in Victoria, British Columbia for the Fourth Canadian Public Safety Interoperability Workshop.  The event will again bring together a broad base of public safety and emergency management practitioners to develop a mutual understanding of the key voice and data - interoperability issues facing today's public safety sector.  With a focus on information exchange, topic-specific discussion and interactive break-outs, the fourth national workshop aims to support and promote the transfer of best practices and experience, and the development of a more unified approach to public safety interoperability across the country, between nations and internationally.

Visit www.citig.ca more detailed event information and visit www.cacp.ca/index/eventscontent?contentId=851 to register on line.

The above mentioned events and many more are listed on the new and improved Interoperability Practitioner's Portal (a.k.a., the CITIG Member Site).  Those interested in accessing news and tools to improve communications interoperability are invited to visit and register at www.citig.ca.

     Workshop Flyer

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The 2010 Canada-U.S. Cross Border Interoperable Communications Workshop occurs in Windsor, Ontario from September 13-15, 2010.  Co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) and Public Safety Canada (PS), the workshop will bring together a broad base of users and officials from all levels of government from both nations with an interest in cross border communications along the Canada-U.S. border.  Don’t miss your opportunity to provide direct input to senior Canadian and U.S. government officials regarding future action plans that address cross border interoperability challenges.  The target audience for this event includes interoperability leaders and users from:

     • Emergency Response Agencies (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, emergency managers)

     • Other Public Safety Providers (federal, state/provincial, and local/municipal)

     • Military and Coast Guard

     • Government Agencies and Utilities

Visit www.cacp.ca/index/eventscontent?contentId=940 for complete information.

     Workshop Flyer

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Andrew Seybold Comments on FCC Capacity Whitepaper

     Andrew Seybold Website Article

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In crisis situations, our emergency responders cannot always talk to each other. Learn what Washington State is doing to establish interoperability so our emergency responders from all levels of government and all jurisdictions can talk to each other as needed.  This nine-minute video is designed for you to use with your peers, policy makers and local and regional leadership to ensure all of your emergency responders can talk to each other across agency boundaries during crisis situations; from major disasters to those incidents than can and do happen in any community on any given day. (courtesy Laura Kingman, SIEC)

     SIEC Video

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OEC would like to introduce you to the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Regional Coordination (RC) Program, to introduce OEC's Regional Coordinators (RCs), and describe their roles and responsibilities.  The OEC Regional Coordination Program was established last fall to assist OEC in fulfilling its mission of improving emergency communications operability and interoperability for emergency responders at all levels of government.  The OEC RCs will serve as OEC's Regional representatives and will work closely with Federal, State, local, and tribal stakeholders to help improve emergency communications operability and interoperability.  Through assignment of OEC RCs in each of the 10 FEMA Regions, OEC plans to enhance communications and contact with our stakeholders.

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US Conference of Mayors Adopts D Block Resolution (courtesy of US Conference of Mayors)
     - USCoM Resolution
     - USCoM Ad

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Henry Waxman issued a House discussion draft today on developing and implementing interoperability standards for the public safety interoperable broadband network.

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NPSTC will hold its quarterly Committee Meetings on June 14-15, 2010, in Alexandria, Virginia.  The meetings will be held at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Virginia, and guest accommodations will be at the Crowne Plaza OId Towne Alexandria, one short block away.

Meetings Location:  Holiday Inn, 625 First Street, Alexandria, Virginia

Meetings Registration: Please visit NPSTC's Meetings Page to register for the meetings so we will know who is attending.  Please complete and submit the form prior to the deadline of Friday, June 4, 2010.

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SCHAUMBURG, IL (Associated Press) - Motorola Inc. on Tuesday signaled its intention to further expand into the business of modernizing the communications systems of public safety agencies.  Motorola, a maker of products ranging from wireless devices to set-top boxes, said its products would link older systems with a mobile broadband network for faster and more seamless communication between personnel in the field and command centers.  Its products would offer high-speed wireless Internet access, link private and public networks and work with two-way radio systems. They would merge voice, data, records and video.  "With stronger networks and greater capabilities, public safety agencies can supplement voice with rich data and video content to empower first responders with the best information when and where it matters most to best serve and protect their communities," the company said in a statement.

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In 1996, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) published its report on public safety's needs through the year 2010.  That groundbreaking report eventually led to public safety spectrum assignments in the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands.  NPSTC created the PSWAC Followup: Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group to update the PSWAC Report.

The online questionnaire, available by clicking here, is designed to collect the public safety operational requirements through the year 2020 in order to determine spectrum, technology, and other needs to accommodate public safety's communications objectives.  This information will be instrumental in communicating public safety communication needs to policymakers.

If you are unable to click on the link above, please cut and paste the following address into your web browser:
http://www.stellarsurvey.com/s.aspx?u=20C944EA-ED31-4006-A023-C6F464F2EB8F&
Should you have any additional feedback, please send email to AFSTInput@npstc.org.

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In 1996, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) published its report on public safety's needs through the year 2010.  That groundbreaking report eventually led to public safety spectrum assignments in the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands.  NPSTC created the PSWAC Followup: Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group to update the PSWAC Report.  The online questionnaire, available by clicking here, is designed to collect the public safety operational requirements through the year 2020 in order to determine spectrum, technology, and other needs to accommodate public safety's communications objectives.  This information will be instrumental in communicating public safety communication needs to policymakers.

If you are unable to click on the link above, please cut and paste the following address into your web browser http://www.stellarsurvey.com/s.aspx?u=20C944EA-ED31-4006-A023-C6F464F2EB8F&.  Should you have any additional feedback, please send email to AFSTInput@npstc.org.

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NPSTC's Annual Report provides an overview of Governing Board, Committee, and Working Group activities as well as all of NPSTC's regulatory filings for 2009.

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Radio Resource Media Group - Industry Canada released the radio system plan for land mobile and radio services in the 700 MHz band.  In regulatory also released and radio standards specifications for land mobile and fixed radio transmitters and receivers operating from 79.41 – 960 MHz.  Read more...

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Glenn Bischoff, Urgent Communications - The State of Florida House of Representatives yesterday unanimously approved a Senate bill that would require newly hired 911 call-takers and dispatchers to compile 232 hours of training before they are allowed to handle an emergency call.  The requirement takes effect in October 2012.  Personnel hired before then would be required to take a competency exam.  Those who fail that exam would be required to undergo the training regimen.  The bill also authorizes the use of funds generated by the state's 911 tax for the training.  Read More...

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The letters linked below supporting reallocation of the 700 MHz D block were just sent to the House and Senate commerce committees from the following national organizations representing state and local governments:

• National Governors Association
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• The Council of State Governments
• National Association of Counties
• National League of Cities
• U.S. Conference of Mayors
• International City/County Management Association

The letter may also be found on NGA's Website (and I'm sure it will shortly be on others...).

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Each year NPSTC presents an award to one individual in public safety communications who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state and national public safety communications arena.  The award was named to honor the achievements of Richard DeMello, one of the founding fathers of NPSTC.  The award is sponsored by and presented during the Annual Awards Banquet of the Radio Club of America and this year will be held in New York City the weekend of November 19th.

We encourage your participation to help us identify this year's honoree.  Nominations will be accepted through June 1, 2010, and a vote to determine the 2010 recipient will be conducted during the June Governing Board meeting in Arlington, VA.

See the NPSTC website for more details and the nomination packet.

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Each year NPSTC presents an award to one individual in public safety communications who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state and national public safety communications arena.  The award was named to honor the achievements of Richard DeMello, one of the founding fathers of NPSTC.  The award is sponsored by and presented during the Annual Awards Banquet of the Radio Club of America and this year will be held in New York City the weekend of November 19th.

We encourage your participation to help us identify this year's honoree.  Nominations will be accepted through June 1, 2010, and a vote to determine the 2010 recipient will be conducted during the June Governing Board meeting in Arlington, VA.

See the NPSTC website for more details and the nomination packet.

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Reporting on the FCC recommendations made at a March Ex Parte meeting the FCC held with invited public safety participants, Andrew Seybold says, "The FCC is making a serious mistake in recommending in its broadband report that the D Block be auctioned, and further, auctioned with no requirements for public safety sharing of any kind.  I think there are capacity issues for both the public safety community and the D Block winner and there are guard band issues that will take spectrum from one or both."

Article: "You Don’t Get D Block But You Do Get Funding"

In an email sent to FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell, Seybold differentiates cell phones from channelized communications, saying, "Channelized communications for voice is one-to-many, which is a critical component of first responder communications.  A dispatch that is verbally sent to units that are to respond is also received simultaneously by other units in the same area.  It is vitally important for all units in a given area to hear what is happening so they can prepare to provide additional coverage or assistance."

Letter to Commissioner McDowell

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The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) is proud of the accomplishments made to improve nationwide emergency communications since our inception three years ago.  This progress wouldn't be possible without the support and partnerships with you - our stakeholders.

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Several members of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) had a recent dialogue with staff from the FCC regarding the D-Block and the relocation of this valuable 700 MHz spectrum from commercial carriers to public safety.  This article merits the attention of everyone in public safety and Homeland Security.

The reallocation of the D-Block from the federal auction process to public safety literally requires an act of Congress.  For those wishing to contact their elected federal representatives or members of Congress with Committee assignments relative to spectral reallocations, please see the Congressional Committee Representatives list below.

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The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (APCO) filed a Petition for Rulemaking asking the Commission to initiate a rulemaking proceeding to update Section 90.307(e) of its rules regarding the list of television stations that land mobile radio applicants for 470-512 MHz operations must analyze to satisfy interference protection criteria.

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The Public Safety Spectrum Trust submitted comments on a Petition for Rulemaking that asks the FCC to require all mobile units for the 700 MHz band to be capable of operating over all frequencies in the band.

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Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress (courtesy Linda K. Moore, Specialist in Telecommunications Policy, Congressional Research Service)  D Block discussion begins on page 7.

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Today, the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau launched a new web page: Broadband and Public Safety and Homeland Security to better ensure that the public safety community, the general public, government agencies and communications providers have access to the latest news and information on the FCC's efforts to implement the National Broadband Plan for public safety.  The implementation of the plan will include initiatives to bring interoperable communications to America's first responders through the creation of a nationwide wireless broadband network and new cyber security reporting and monitoring programs; as well as Next Generation 9-1-1 services; emergency alerts and warnings through a variety of outlets (including via television and radio broadcasts (Emergency Alert System), wireless hand-held devices, such as cell phones and the Internet) and much more.

The web page includes access to the latest press releases, public notices, field hearings, and presentations.  We encourage you to visit these pages for updates and background information to assist with your coverage of the National Broadband Plan and its impact on public safety across America.

To access these pages, please visit:
http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/broadband.html

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PSCR held a kick-off informational webinar about participation in the Public Safety 700 MHz Broadband Demonstration Network.  This demo network will demonstrate and evaluate the behaviors of 3GPP LTE technology deployed in the 700 MHz bands, specific to the needs of public safety agencies, and will provide manufacturers and first responders a location for early deployment of their systems in a multi-vendor, neutral host environment.  For more details, please also read the NIST Tech Beat article.

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Please join the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program at IWCE for a Q&A session on the announcement of its 700MHz Broadband Public Safety Demonstration Network.

   Thursday, March 11
   10:00-11:00 AM
   Las Vegas Convention Center
   South Exhibit Hall
   Room S202

Broadband is one of the most critical issues facing public safety, and community is in the process of determining how it will use the 700 MHz broadband spectrum.  The Demonstration Network will demonstrate and evaluate the behaviors of 3GPP LTE technology deployed in the 700 MHz bands, specific to the needs of public safety agencies.  This demo network will provide manufacturers and first responders a location for early deployment of their systems in a multi-vendor, neutral host environment.  Emergency responders will see how these broadband systems will function and determine through hands-on experience how these systems meet their unique needs.  More information is available in this Federal Register Notice Announcement.

Please also consider joining PSCR for a Webinar on the Demonstration Network, Monday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT.  Email 700MHz@its.bldrdoc.gov to register for the Webinar or to contact PSCR.

More information is available at the PSCR Website.

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During the IWCE Conference, NPSTC provided topical information on potential broadband applications for EMS as the national public safety broadband network gets closer to reality, as well as provided an update on the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST) activities and shared information regarding NPSTC's new Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group, created to update the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) Report.

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The December 5-8, 2010, Workshop to be held in Victoria, British Columbia will bring together public safety and emergency management to develop mutual understanding of key voice and data interoperability issues.  Delegates can expect to be "put to work" in extensive break-out sessions, with a focus on information exchange, topic-specific discussion, and interactive break-outs.  Register in advance at www.cacp.ca  or call (613) 233-1106.

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Below are slides from a public safety presentation given by the PSHSB at the FCC, and also posted to the PSHS Bureau webpage.  They discuss the spectrum requirements of the PS community in respect to the D Block and development by the FCC of ERIC.

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Date: December 5-8, 2010 (Sunday evening to Wednesday afternoon)
Location: The Fairmont Empress, Victoria, BC
Registration Cost: $450 + GST ($472.50), includes all plenary sessions, Sunday evening meet and greet, Monday evening exhibitors reception, 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 5 refreshment breaks.
Registrations must be made in advance, online at www.cacp.ca.  For those without Internet access please call (613) 233-1106 for further assistance.  For more information about CITIG, please visit the CITIG Website.

*** Please note conference sessions will only be offered in English ***

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Harlin McEwen, chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), said he is concerned that the FCC's plans to create an Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) could duplicate public safety efforts and potentially delay the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.

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Government Technology called Harlin McEwen a "tireless advocate for a National Broadband Public Safety Network" and was among those recognized in Government Technology magazine and on their website.

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Government Technology called Harlin McEwen a "tireless advocate for a National Broadband Public Safety Network" and was among those recognized in Government Technology magazine and on their website.

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Government Technology released its list of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of 2010, and Harlin McEwen was among those recognized.

Harlin McEwen is a tireless advocate for a national broadband public safety network.  He also happens to be the leading authority on the subject as the elected chairman of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corp. — the nonprofit selected by the FCC to guide construction of such a network.

Wherever you find the nation's leaders discussing nationwide public safety wireless interoperability, you're likely to find McEwen at the forefront of those talks.

For example, McEwen recently addressed Congress (in spoken testimony and through a white paper) about what nationwide interoperable wireless communications could mean for public safety agencies. He also tackled growing misconceptions on the topic and the costs associated with building such a network.

Go to Government Technology’s Web site to read more about Harlin McEwen.

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The Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) is conducting a National EMS and 9-1-1 Stakeholders meeting on March 17-18, 2010 in Washington, DC.  The meeting is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Affairs.  At this meeting, the FICEMS leadership will present a brief overview of current Federal EMS and 9-1-1 related activities respond to questions and listen to the opinions and ideas of interested individuals about national EMS priorities and future directions.  We propose the meeting as one way to improve communications between EMS stakeholders and Federal agencies.  The meeting summary will be provided to FICEMS and to the National EMS Advisory Council.

Registration is required.  Click HERE to access the registration form and return it no later than March 10, 2010.  We will confirm all registrations based on space availability.  If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Andrew Kline at 202-254-6853 or Andrew.Kline@associates.dhs.gov.

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The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has rescheduled its public forum to discuss the creation of an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications for Tuesday, March 2, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305) located at 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. This forum had been originally scheduled for February 10, 2010, but was postponed due to severe winter weather.

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A Public Notice was released, February 22, announcing the effective dates of certain rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in the Wireless Microphone Report and Order pertaining to WT Docket Nos. 08-166 & 08-167; ET Docket No. 10-24.

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Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that the FCC will move forward with the D Block auction in his remarks at a briefing on the public safety portion of the National Broadband Plan. The Broadband team is recommending that "we move forward with a D Block auction," he said, adding that, "to ensure sufficient reserve capacity for the network, as well as redundancy and resiliency, the Plan envisions that public safety will be able to access not just the D Block spectrum, but the entire 700 MHz band through roaming and priority access arrangements." The Plan also recommends that Congress consider significant public funding -- $16-18 Billion over 10 years -- for the creation of a federal grant program to help support network construction, operation, and evolution of the public safety broadband network.

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City of New York 700 MHz Broadband Public Safety Applications and Spectrum Requirements

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To ensure national consistency of interoperability on related radio channels, the proposed Standard Channel Nomenclature for Public Safety Interoperability Channels provides a standardized naming format for each Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated Interoperability Channel in Public Safety Radio Services.  The comment period is for the proposed addition of the channel use designator SAR for search and rescue.

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The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) released for comments an addition to a candidate American National Standard (ANS) to ensure national consistency of interoperability on related radio channels.

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The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) has officially concluded its National Rollout of the Communications Unit Leader (COML) class.  From May 2008 through November 2009, OEC sponsored 66 classes resulting in over 1,600 students successfully completing the COML course.  Please see the attached Press Release from OEC.  On behalf of OEC, we can not thank you all enough for your time, effort and sacrifice in making this class into the success that it has become.

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The Public Safety Communications Research program (PSCR), based in Boulder, CO, a program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will begin building a Public Safety Broadband Demonstration Network to provide manufacturers with a site for early deployment of their systems, providing an opportunity to evaluate them in a multi-vendor environment, and create integration opportunities for commercial service providers.

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March 10:  NPSTC Panel on potential broadband applications for EMS as the national public safety broadband network gets closer to reality and NPSTC’s new Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group, created to update the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) Report.

March 12:  NPSTC Governing Board and Committees’ Meetings in Room S228 from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (PST).  Join NPSTC’s leadership to learn WHO we are, WHAT activities we are currently working on to improve public safety telecommunications, and to share YOUR input on the critical issues facing the public safety telecommunications community today.

March 8-12:  NPSTC also looks forward to talking with you during the week at Booth #3093.

For more information on IWCE, please visit www.iwceexpo.com.

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(Courtesy TRDaily, January 12, 2010) Representatives of nine major public safety groups lobbied Capitol Hill, the FCC, and the Obama administration today to reallocate the 700 megahertz D block to public safety and provide recurring funding for a nationwide public safety broadband network.  The public safety groups are supported in their push by Verizon Wireless and AT&T, Inc., as well as companies such as Motorola, Inc., Alcatel Lucent, Harris Corp., and Northrop Grumman.  The day culminated with a media event at the National Press Club.  Here is a link to the C-Span coverage:  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/291237-1.

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(courtesy TRDaily) - FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski this afternoon circulated a draft item that attempts to try to resolve the thorny issue of what to do with wireless microphones operating in the 700 megahertz band, an agency source told TRDaily.  The Chairman is hoping for speedy action on the order and further notice of proposed rulemaking, the source said.

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A new information and resource site has been launched for the benefit of ALL Part 90 VHF and UHF LMR/SMR licensees interested or involved with narrowbanding.  Please visit: http://www.wirelessradio.net when you have a few minutes.  Your help would also be much appreciated in identifying what other content or links should be emphasized in the following elements of the site:

Industry Resources - Both Public Safety AND Business/Industrial (i.e trade associations; etc, etc) - after all, we're all facing the FCC's narrowbanding mandate together, right?

Featured Links - And, anything else you believe should be included that will help make the site a viable, referable, and worthwhile information resource for ALL licensees and users.  All constructive comments, thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are welcome.  Email them to: NarrowbandingLinks@wirelessradio.net.

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WASHINGTON (courtesy of BroadbandBreakfast.com) - A government letter sent on behalf of the Obama Administration to the agency charged with rolling out a national broadband plan repeatedly refers to the need for open platforms, standards and networks going forward in order to keep the country safe.

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In 1996, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) published its report on public safety's needs through the year 2010.  That groundbreaking report eventually led to public safety spectrum assignments in the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands.  The Technology Committee is looking for volunteers to participate with the PSWAC Follow-Up Working Group, formed to assess public safety's spectrum and technology needs through the year 2020.  Use the Volunteer Form, or for more information, call Toll Free (866) 807-4755 or email NPSTC with your questions.

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NPSTC is seeking representatives from member organizations to provide expertise to the FCC’s advisory committee, Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC).  The CSRIC Working Group descriptions provide an overview of the areas being investigated.  Requests to be included as Working Group members MUST be received by close of business, December 11, 2009 to info@npstc.org.  In submitting your name, you must include the number of the Working Group and your complete contact information including title and organization.  We can only accept requests from voting member organizations.  This is a volunteer effort, no travel or compensation will be made available.

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today officially launched Virtual USA, an innovative information-sharing initiative that helps federal, state, local and tribal first responders communicate during emergencies.

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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the release of fiscal year 2010 grant application guidance for 13 DHS grant programs that have been appropriated more than $2.7 billion.  "These grants play a major role in our efforts to work with our state, local, tribal and territorial and private sector partners to build a national culture of readiness and resilience," the secretary said.  "This year's guidance focuses on maximizing efficiency and value while prioritizing risk in awarding grants to strengthen our nation's security."  DHS said the guidance "has increased tribal funding, reduced administrative paperwork for state and local government and enabled local jurisdictions to use preparedness funding for ongoing maintenance contracts, warranties, repair or replacement costs, upgrades and user fees for equipment purchased with previous DHS grants."  The use of funds for maintenance has been an issue lately and has spurred congressional legislation by lawmakers upset about a Federal Emergency Management Agency policy banning the use of funds to maintain equipment.  As part of the $2.7 billion in funding, the Homeland Security Grant Program will get $1.78 billion and the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program will get $48 million.

      DHS Press Release

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President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring December as critical infrastructure protection month, "underscoring the vital importance of the ongoing work and achievements of all in protecting and ensuring the resilience of our Nation's critical infrastructure and key resources."

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC’s) Governing Board was pleased to present the fourth annual Richard DeMello Award at the Radio Club of America's 100th Anniversary Gala celebration to Donald E. Root, Jr., Assistant Manager, Wireless Services Division, San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

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Ralph Haller was awarded the Barry Goldwater Award at the at the Radio Club of America's 100th Anniversary Gala celebration on November 21, 2009.  The award says, “In recognition of a long record of service to the public through the use of amateur communications.  Ralph has dedicated over four decades to the betterment of wireless communications, and he has demonstrated significant leadership and involvement in both amateur radio and land mobile communications.”

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Beginning in 2005, NPSTC has presented an annual award to one public safety communications person who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state, and national public safety communications arena.  Past DeMello Award winners are Chief Harlin McEwen, John Powell, and Chief Charles Werner.  The Radio Club of America's 100th Anniversary Gala celebration will be held Saturday, November 21, 2009 at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center.

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NPSTC Comments on Canada Gazette Notice DGTP-011-09 Consultation Paper on Low-Power Licensed Radiocommunication Devices, Including Wireless Microphones, in the Band 698-806 MHz.

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The Technology Committee is looking for volunteers to participate with the Technology Education Working Group, formed to ensure the public safety and public service communities are aware of the latest technological development, deployment, standardization, and regulation.  Volunteer using the Volunteer Form.  If you have any questions, please call Toll Free (866) 807-4755 or email NPSTC at info@npstc.org.

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NPSTC's Chair Ralph Haller will be part of a panel on narrowbanding, Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 2:00 pm EST.  The narrowbanding webinar will explain the FCC requirement that land mobile radio systems on spectrum between 150 MHz and 512 MHz be able to operate in 12.5 KHz-wide channels or equivalent efficiency instead of 25 KHz-wide channels by 2013.  The webinar will answer the most frequently asked questions and will present strategies from communications experts on how to best execute the transition.

Register Here

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In 1996, the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee (PSWAC) published its report on public safety's needs through the year 2010.  That groundbreaking report eventually led to public safety spectrum assignments in the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands.  The Technology Committee is looking for volunteers to participate with the Public Safety Spectrum Requirements: Assessment of Future Spectrum and Technology (AFST) Working Group, formed to assess public safety's spectrum and technology needs through the year 2020.

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Lance Valcour, representing NPSTC associate member, the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG), was elected to serve on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP's) Law Enforcement Information Management (LEIM) Board at the IACP's annual meeting held in October in Denver, Colorado. The LEIM brings together law enforcement practitioners to improve and facilitate the exchange of information and system interoperability within and across jurisdictional boundaries. LEIM key stakeholders include police chiefs, law enforcement executives, and technologists.

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NPSTC's Home Page features a digital clock counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until mandatory narrowbanding begins.  In 3 short years, all radio systems operating at frequencies below 512 MHz will be required to narrowband, i.e., begin operating in 12.5 KHz channel bandwidths.  The FCC has mandated that narrowbanding be complete by January 1, 2013.  What does this mean to you?  It means that many existing systems operating in these bands will need to be modified or replaced.

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The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) released for comments a candidate American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standard to ensure national consistency of interoperability on related radio channels.  The proposed Standard Channel Nomenclature for the Public Safety Interoperability Channels provides a standardized naming format for each Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated Interoperability Channel in the Public Safety Radio Services.

The Candidate APCO/NPSTC ANS 1.104.1-200x: Standard Channel Nomenclature for the Public Safety Interoperability Channels and Frequently Asked Questions documents can also be viewed on the APCO website.

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Bill Brownlow, representing the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has been invited to serve on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC's) advisory committee, the Communications Security, Reliability & Interoperability Council (CSRIC).  The CSRIC will provide recommendations to ensure optimal security, reliability, and interoperability of communications systems, and will address broadband and other advanced technologies; options to ensure the availability of communications capacity during natural disasters or terrorist attacks that result in strain on the communications infrastructure, and methods to ensure the rapid restoration of communications services.

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The PSST has issued a white paper to correct a misconception by some that in 2-3 years wireless broadband will be an alternative to Land Mobile Radio (LMR) mission critical public safety voice systems.  There are currently no technical broadband standards being developed or even planned to provide the one-to-many communications and talk around (unit-to-unit) capability needed for mission critical public safety voice communications.  Current and planned broadband standards and technologies depend on a network approach while public safety must also have a non-network capability to communicate in emergencies when a network cannot be reached or is out of service.

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CMAS Forum Attendees - Thank you for your continued patience as we worked to finalize the follow-up materials from the CMAS Forum. We know that you are looking forward to reviewing the Forum Report.  We are currently moving the Report through the final review and approval process (which has taken longer than anticipated); however, we hope to have the Report to you by mid-October.  In the meantime, we are happy to announce that the CMAS Forum web site is now live!  The web site can be found at the following address: www.cmasforum.com.

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The Regional Planning Committee (RPC) Region 55 is conducting a limited window opening to accept applications from public safety agencies who, themselves, may have found the channel(s) they believe will meet the required protection criteria in the plan for General Use channels in the 769 to 775 MHz and 799 to 805 MHz frequency bands.  Region 55 will receive applications from November 2, 2009, through November 30, 2009.

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Harlin McEwen, Chairman, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), testified before the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, at a hearing focused on three main proposals that have emerged in the aftermath of the unsuccessful "D Block" auction in 2008.

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A National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review

Thank you for your interest and participation in the National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR).  Since the dialogue launched in August, over 26,000 of you have read and provided input on the proposals put forth by DHS.  By learning about and weighing in on the work of the study groups conducting this important top-to-bottom review, you are helping to shape our nation's homeland security policies and priorities for the next four years.

The third and final phase of the National Dialogue on the QHSR will go live for one week beginning next Monday, September 28, 2009.  This is your last chance to provide your best ideas and feedback to DHS for consideration in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review.

Your Last Chance to Provide Input into the QHSR

The QHSR is nearly finished.  In the first and second dialogues, you helped rate and rank the goals and objectives that will guide homeland security policy for the near future.  (Both previous dialogues are archived online here: Phase 1 | Phase 2)

Now DHS wants your feedback on a few key remaining questions in each of the six study areas.  When the National Dialogue goes live on Monday, you will have the opportunity to read, rate, and respond to questions and proposals posed by DHS, which have been shaped by your participation in the two previous dialogues.  This is your final chance to provide input before the QHSR is completed, so bring your best ideas, tell us about your experience, and read and rate other participants' ideas to ensure the best ones "rise to the top."

If you have not already participated in the National Dialogue, you can sign up to receive e-mail updates at www.HomelandSecurityDialogue.org.

Follow us on Twitter @ QHSRDialogue, Facebook, and Govloop!

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On September 15, 2009, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) voted to accept the 700 MHz Broadband Network Requirement Task Force (BBTF) Report and send the report to the Public Safely Spectrum Trust (PSST).  NPSTC is grateful to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program for their support and participation in developing this report.

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The BBTF Final Report has been approved by the Governing Board during their scheduled meeting today, September 15, 2009.  The report will be forwarded to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST).  The Governing Board extended sincere appreciation to all of those involved with the development of the report for their dedication and hard work and, in particular, the leadership of Dave Buchanan in meeting the goal of delivering the report for our consideration today.

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The Federal Highway Administration has released two training workbooks on the role of Transportation and Transportation workers in emergency response.  While primarily designed for Transportation Workers and Supervisors, the documents stress the importance of the National Response Framework and the National Incident Management System.  These documents, and the information they contain should be a part of any incident commander's body of knowledge.

      Workbook
      Supervisor Instructions

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The Template Suite and Reference Library assists the Nation in meeting its interoperable communications milestones as outlined in the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP).  Their release satisfies NECP Milestones 1.1.1 and 3.3.41, which state, "DHS will establish a central repository of model formal agreements (i.e., Memoranda of Agreement [MOA], Memoranda of Understanding [MOU], and Mission Assignments) and information that will enhance interstate and intrastate coordination."

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The second National Dialogue on the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) will begin on August 31st and will continue through September 6th.  This dialogue will be more interactive than the first, asking emergency response providers and homeland security officials to prioritize and comment on proposed homeland security objectives and to discuss what must be done to achieve them.  Your participation will help inform the work of the QHSR study groups, each of which is focusing on a specific study area:

• Counterterrorism and domestic security management;
• Securing our borders;
• Smart and tough enforcement of immigration laws;
• Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters;
• Homeland security national risk assessment; and
• Homeland security planning and capabilities.

Share your views and expertise on homeland security, and help spread the word about the National Dialogue.  For more information on the QHSR, please visit the QHSR Web Site.

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NPSTC's Chair Ralph Haller and Harlin McEwen, Chair, Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST), were part of a panel convened by the FCC to explore the use of broadband technology by the public safety as part of the development of a National Broadband Plan.

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Ralph Haller, NPSTC Chair, and Harlin McEwen, PSST & IACP, to speak at the FCC Tuesday, August 25, 2009, during the National Broadband Plan Workshop.

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) 700 MHz Broadband Network Requirement Task Force (BBTF) met at APCO International's 75th Annual Conference and Exposition to finalize its work which began in June when the 15 organizations of the NPSTC federation appointed this task force to define requirements for state and local networks that will ensure interoperability in a system of systems approach to a national broadband network.

The BBTF will provide the NPSTC Governing Board a final report September 4th for review and approval during their scheduled September 15th conference call. Upon approval, the report will be forwarded to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST). The completed and approved document will be posted on the NPSTC website.

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Participation was high at both the BBTF meeting and Panel Presentation. Items below represent slides and documents used during the BBTF meeting, and the NPSTC presentation on Public Safety Telecommunications Current Events conducted during the conference.

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Scheduled Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 9:30 am-11:30 am (PST) in Ballroom G of the Las Vegas Hilton.

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Scheduled Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 9:30 am-11:30 am (PST) in Ballroom G of the Las Vegas Hilton.

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A panel discussion during APCO's 75th Annual Conference and Exposition to talk about the latest developments in public safety telecommunications including a report of the 700 MHz Broadband Requirements Task Force, FCC filings, OEC updates, COML training, NPSTC's new PSWAC Follow On Working Group, the P25 CAP program, and 900 MHz alerting.

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NPSTC's Governing Board will present the fourth annual Richard DeMello Award at the Radio Club of America's 100th Anniversary Gala celebration on November 20, 2009, at the Georgetown Conference Center and Hotel.

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NPSTC's Associate Member, the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group (CITIG), was awarded the inaugural Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP)/Motorola Award for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness, presented at the opening of the CACP annual conference.

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The Spectrum Management Committee is in need of volunteers to participate with the Airborne Video Working Group, which was formed to address strategies and spectrum for public safety airborne-to-ground video operations.

Within this Committee, the Airborne Video Working Group has surveyed five agencies using airborne video and plans to survey three or four others, but the Working Group still needs input on other agencies using airborne video or would want to implement.  The agencies surveyed were using TV news-gathering frequencies, 4.9 GHz, or federal spectrum under local agreements with the FBI or National Guard.

At the June 2009 NPSTC Meetings, it was proposed that the Airborne Video Working Group develop a best practices white paper for agencies to reference.  The Working Group requests volunteers to assist in this project, along with its other goals and objectives.

If you'd like to participate in the Airborne Video Working Group and provide input which will benefit the public safety community, please use the form below to volunteer.  You will be contacted with the information for the next meeting and additional information regarding the Airborne Video Working Group.

Please visit the Spectrum Management Committee web page on the NPSTC website (www.npstc.org/committeeSM.jsp).  There you will find more information on the Committee, as well as the Volunteer Form.  If you have any questions, please call Toll Free (866) 807-4755 or email NPSTC at info@npstc.org.

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Proposed DHS alerting system sounds promising, reports Donny Jackson, Urgent Communications.  DHS hosted a CMAS Forum to lay the groundwork for a new mobile alerting system for the nation.  Almost all mobile users would receive alerts in the text-based system because they would automatically be registered for the service unless they took the time to opt out.

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Scheduled Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 9:30 am-11:30 am (PST) in Ballroom G of the Las Vegas Hilton.

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The Commerce Department has sent Congress draft legislation that would give public safety agencies up to 2 more years to complete their Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program projects.  Responding to the short timeframes allowed to complete PSIC projects, Commerce General Counsel Cameron Kerry sent draft legislation to the Congressional leadership in late July asking for the PSIC extension from September 2010 to 2012.

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NPSTC's member organizations provided comments that are referenced in a GAO report, "Emergency Communications: Vulnerabilities Remain and Limited Collaboration and Monitoring Hamper Federal Efforts", which recommends that DHS and the FCC establish a forum to collaborate on significant agency emergency communications efforts.  NPSTC has served as a volunteer forum of 15 public safety organizations providing input to the FCC and DHS's OIC and OEC (SAFECOM) for many years.

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H.R. 1819 has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Joseph Cao (R-La) to amend the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 to extend the interoperable emergency communications grant program through fiscal year 2012.  See http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1819.IH: for all details.  The bill was introduced on Mar 31, 2009 and has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  So far, it appears the bill has only ONE sponsor.  Letters from interested parties to their respective members will improve the likelihood of rapid passage.
If you are unable to connect to this link, you may prefer instead to download the following PDF version:

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The Plain Language Working Group was formally launched on Wednesday, April 29th, with a conference call from 2:00 - 3:30 pm EST.  In addition, the group has provided a guide that outlines an approach for emergency response agencies, localities, and states to replace coded language radio transmissions with plain language.  This guide includes reasons to adopt plain language, processes to make plain language a reality, and resources for transitioning to plain language.

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The Department of Homeland Security has posted the FY 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program Guidance on the AFG Website (http://www.firegrantsupport.com/afg/).  The application period is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, April 15, 2009, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).  Applications for these grants must be received by Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

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The Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is announcing final grant allocations for various programs.

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OEC is pleased to announce the release of the National Summary of Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans (SCIPs).  The document provides the common themes, gaps, initiatives, and a sample of best practices as identified in the 56 SCIPs and updated SCIP Implementation Reports.  It also provides links to several resources for additional guidance should you be interested.  The document is linked below and also available on the SAFECOM website at http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/statewideplanning/.

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The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) meets the requirements that the President set forth in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7), Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection, and provides the overarching approach for integrating the Nation’s many CIKR protection initiatives into a single national effort.

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This year, NPSTC is a Supporting Organization for IWCE and we would like to encourage you to attend. The Governing Board will be included in a number of events at the International Wireless Conference & Exposition (IWCE), Las Vegas, NV – March 17–20, 2009. Please join NPSTC at the following events:

• NPSTC Panel: “Current Events within the Public Safety Communications Community ” – Wednesday, March 18, 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm (Session # W18). Please see other panels of interest.
• NPSTC Exhibit Booth: #1945
• NIIX Training Session: A training session is scheduled to assist newly registered users and those seeking a refresher course. Friday, March 20, 11:00 am – Noon (Room N219)
• NPSTC Governing Board Open Meeting: Participate in a “brainstorming” session and provide your input on the critical issues facing the public safety telecommunications community today. Friday, March 20, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Room N219)
• NIJ CommTech Panel: “R&D Efforts: Providing the Communication Tools of Tomorrow” – Wednesday, March 18, 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm (Session # W12); NIJ Exhibit Booth: #1716.

For additional information regarding the IWCE Conference, please visit http://www.iwceexpo.com/.

If you have any questions regarding these events, please contact NPSTC at info@npstc.org.

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Over the past several years, many over-the-road drivers have joined the Highway Watch program operated by the American Trucking Association.  That program was discontinued.  The Department of Homeland Security realizing the benefit provided by these many thousands of pairs of eyes traveling over our roads, has revitalized the program as "First Observer" to carry on the work and reporting accomplished in the past.  The below letter from Bill Arrington, of the Transportation Security Agency, announces the new program and provides contact information.

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Chris Essid from OEC invites you to the National Conference on Emergency Communications, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s Ofce of Emergency Communications (OEC).  This important gathering of nationwide public safety stakeholders will take place April 22-24, 2009 in the heart of the “Windy City” at the Hilton Chicago.  Widely anticipated in the emergency communications community, this conference will attract over 300 multi-discipline practitioners, government ofcials, and industry representatives from around the country.

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The most common incident faced by first responders is traffic related.  The U.S. Department of Transportation has just released a draft report on some of the best or most effective practices in handling these common occurrences.

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President Obama believes that a delay in the implementation of digital television is necessary (please see letter from John Podesta).  A major concern in reaction to this new development is the impact of the delay upon public safety.  The great rub in all of this is that no one is defining the proposed length of a delay in a DTV transition.  Additionally, will there be an exemption to any potential delays that permits public safety use of the 700 MHz frequencies as presently contained in the Nightlight Act?

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I am pleased to announce the release of Establishing Governance to Achieve Statewide Communications Interoperability - A Guide for Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP) Implementation. After reviewing all 56 state and territory SCIPs, the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) learned that many States and territories are searching for guidance to assist them in establishing robust, practitioner-driven, statewide governance systems.

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WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today released a revised National Incident Management System (NIMS) - the national standard for incident management. NIMS establishes standardized incident management processes, protocols, and procedures that all federal, state, tribal and local responders will use to coordinate and conduct response actions.

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Fairfax, VA, June 30, 2008 - The IAFC Digital Project Working Group today released its "Interim Report and Recommendations: Fireground Noise and Digital Radio Transmissions". This report is the culmination of a year's work by an IAFC working group with public-safety organizations, manufacturers and the laboratory services of the federal government to determine the extent of radio transmission problems associated with fire ground noise. The report includes conclusions based on nine months of laboratory testing conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). An important part of the report is the set of recommendations for the fire service, the federal government and industry.

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A report highlighting CAD interoperability projects in three regions.
     Report

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Video that provides high-level decision makers with a value proposition that details the importance of CAD interoperability.
     Video Home Page
The video is offered in three formats (low, medium, and high resolution) and requires Windows Media Player to view. Please select the appropriate link based on your internet connection:
     CAD Business Case Video (Low Resolution: Cable/Modem)
     CAD Business Case Video (Medium Resolution: Cable/DSL)
     CAD Business Case Video (High Resolution: LAN/T-1)

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Today, June 26, 2008, is the 3-year anniversary and the date by which the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) indicated that the rebanding program would be completed. For licensees that were granted waivers of the deadline, we would like you to focus on the actions that are necessary to facilitate the successful completion of rebanding.

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John Powell, NPSTC Interoperability Committee Chair and SDR Forum Board of Directors, presented at the Public Safety Communication Summit in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 2008.  He addressed several topics on Interoperability, including Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans (SCIP), Broadband Interoperability, and Software Define Radios, to mention a few.

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Marilyn Ward, NPSTC’s Executive Director, presented at CITIG’s Interoperability Workshop that was held in Ottawa, Ontario on March 27 and 28, 2008.  Topics included Border Issues, In-Building Communications, and a Nationwide Broadband Network to mention a few.

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Jack Daniel presented the new NPSTC white paper and its appendices on in-building communications best practices at APCO's Western Conference that was held in Albuquerque, NM, on March 30-April 2.

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NPSTC held a panel presentation at IWCE 2008 on Thursday, February 28, 2008 discussing ‘Current Events and Activities in Public Safety Communications’. Topics included in-building coverage, broadband, vocoder issues (with sample audio), border issues, channel naming, and plain talk, just to mention a few.

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The National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG) is a collection of technical reference material for radio technicians responsible for radios that will be used in disaster response applications.

• Release

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Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces an Extension of the Deadline for 700 MHz Regional Planning Committees to Amend 700 MHz Narrowband Plans from November 23, 2007 to January 31, 2008.

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The Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) launched a pilot project on September 25, 2007 in DC that will field-test the integration of new broadband technologies with existing emergency responder two-way radio systems.

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Public safety and homeland security Bureau announces the availability of revised channelization plans for the consolidated 700 MHz public safety narrowband spectrum.

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a Fact Sheet regarding its newly launched Radio Over Wireless Broadband (ROW-B) Project.

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a press release announcing its launch of Radio Over Wireless Broadband (ROW-B) project.

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On September 24, 2007 the FCC released the Order on Reconsideration and changed the requirements for the Public Safety Broadband Licensee (PSBL) makeup that were contained in the Second Report and Order that was released on August 10, 2007.

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The Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee Meeting was held on July 18, 2007, and the presentations and final recommendations are now available.

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) representatives met with Chief Derek Poarch of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) on August 28, 2007 to discuss the FCC’s 700 MHz Second Report and Order and its impact on public safety agencies. During this discussion the FCC encourages all public safety agencies that have deployed or are in the process of deploying a 700 MHz system to file a waiver request ASAP.

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) has created this timeline to assist public safety in better understanding the chain of events required in the 700 MHz Second Report and Order.

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The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) representatives met with Chief Derek Poarch of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) on August 28, 2007 to discuss the FCC’s 700 MHz Second Report and Order and its impact on public safety agencies.  During this discussion the FCC encourages all public safety agencies that have deployed or are in the process of deploying a 700 MHz system to file a waiver request ASAP.

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NPSTC gave a presentation at IWCE to brief the Public Safety Communications Community on the latest news and activities that have been taking place.

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SAFECOM and NPSTC hosted a Statewide Planning Workshop that was held March 21-23, 2007 in Los Angeles, CA.  The purpose of the Statewide Planning workshop was to provide State Interoperability Coordinators with the relevant guidance and tools to assist them in developing statewide interoperability plans.  Several resources are now available on the SAFECOM website to further assist the State Interoperability Coordinators with their plans.

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NPSTC presents one annual award to an individual in public safety communications who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state and national public safety communications arena. Nominations from the technical and operational segments of the community will be accepted. The final decision will be made at the NPSTC meeting on June 13, 2007 in Denver, Colorado by the NPSTC Governing Board, after reviewing the nomination.

Please fill out this Nomination Packet and submit to support@npstc.org prior to June 1, 2007 to nominate this year's recipient of the Richard DeMello Public Safety Communications Award to be presented this fall in New York during the Radio Club of America’s annual banquet November 16, 2007.

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SAFECOM is sponsoring a Statewide Planning Workshop hosted by the National Governors Association (NGA) and National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC).  The Workshop will be held March 21-23, 2007 in Los Angeles.  All 50 states, U.S. Territories and D.C are invited to participate.  Each governor will be invited to designate a five-member team which includes state and local practitioners and policy makers.  The Workshop will provide technical assistance on statewide planning and addressing the Statewide Plan Criteria.

We wanted to alert you that the letter of invitation to Governors was mailed late, last week with an application form and a copy of the Statewide Planning Criteria.  These documents are attached for your reference.

While the Workshop is by invitation only (Governors’ Team Leads will select attendees), we would like to alert the emergency responder community to its existence and provide assistance to Governors in responding to the invitation.  Those interested in attending the Workshop should contact their Governors’ offices directly.  For questions or concerns, please contact Erin Lee at NGA (elee@nga.org) or 202-624-5392.

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The Office of Emergency Communications released its bulletin Office of Emergency Communications Bulletin: Dec 2007 - Jan 2008.

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Protocol Between the Department of State of the United States of America and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of the United Mexican States Concerning the Allotment and Use of the 698-806 MHz Band for Terrestrial Non-Broadcasting Radio Communication Services Along the Common Border.

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Spectrum Management - Root - 700 MHz Border Area Band Plan - Don Root’s evaluation of the 700 MHz Public Safety Band in the US-Mexico Border Area under the new International 698-806 MHz Protocol.  (Note: The channels highlighted and in Strike-out text are the Mexico Primary allocations)                             

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NIST released a fascinating study this month that may indicate that "Firefighter Radios May Fail During High-Temp Fires..."  Click on this link for more.     

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Presentation - Current Issues In Public Safety Communications - What You Need To Know!

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Results of the Eighth Meeting of the U.S.-Mexico High Level Consultative Commission on Telecommunications, Washington, DC, July 17, 2006.

• Joint Statement
• Directory of Bilateral Issues
• Letter to Mr. Jorge Alvarez Hoth the Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes
• Letter to Sr. John M.R. Kneuer the Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Department of Commerce and Administrator of National Telecommunications and Information Administration
• Protocol between the Department of State of the United States of America and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of the United Mexican States Concerning the Allotment and Use of the 138-144 MHz Band for Terrestrial Non-Broadcasting Radiocommunication Services Along the Common Border
• Letter to Ambassador Gross dated July 11, 2006

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Baseline Overview - A description of the SAFECOM Interoperability Baseline Survey

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A DHS announcement regarding the SAFECOM Interoperability Baseline Survey.

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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding the SAFECOM Interoperability Baseline Survey.

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• FCC Site Link

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