Fundamental Reform in Public Safety Communications Policy

All across the country, there have been failures in the communications systems used by first responders, such as firefighters, police, paramedics, and the National Guard. These failures can cost lives in emergencies both large and small. This problem has gained particular attention in the tragic aftermaths of the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, when inadequacies in the current system were particularly obvious, but attention has not yet translated to significant progress. As observed by the House Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate Hurricane Katrina, “[w]ithout functioning communications systems, first responders and government officials cannot establish meaningful command and control, nor can they develop the situational awareness necessary to know how and where to direct their response and recovery efforts.”