Public Safety Alliance

MORE JOIN THE CALL FOR SWIFT PASSAGE OF S.3756

MORE JOIN THE CALL FOR SWIFT PASSAGE OF S.3756 TO ALLOCATE D-BLOCK TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND FUND BROADBAND NETWORK

State Technology Directors and Alarm and Security Industry Add Their Support to Public Safety Alliance

September 15, 2010, Washington DC - The National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD), and the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC) added their support to the Public Safety Alliance's (PSA) position to allocate the D-Block spectrum to public safety and provide funding for the build out and sustainment of a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network. The AICC is comprised of representatives of the Central Station Alarm Association, the Security Industry Association, the Security Network of America, the Electronics Security Association and several major alarm companies and manufacturers including ADT Security, GE Security, Honeywell and Underwriters Laboratory, Inc.

"NASTD is opposed to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed commercial D Block auction and recommends this spectrum be reallocated exclusively to public safety," said NASTD President J. Daniel Corcoran.

"As commercial operators composed of security and public safety experts, we at the AICC know that a nationwide public safety broadband network with sufficient capacity and public safety-grade capabilities is critical to enhancing and better ensuring our nation and the public's safety both day-to-day and during small-to-large critical events or incidents," said Steve Doyle, executive vice president of the Central Station Alarm Association."Chairman Rockefeller's legislation, S.3756, provides the basis for finally realizing this outstanding need. We join with the PSA and its supporters in urging all U.S. Senators to support Chairman Rockefeller's bill now."

This additional support follows on public recognition for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, both of which tragically highlighted the need for a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network. In addition, representatives of the more than 45 organizations who support D-Block allocation to public safety with funding will be in Washington, DC next week to bring this message to the White House, federal agencies and Congress.

"The overwhelming support for allocation of the D Block to public safety with funding from the organizations representing the professionals who will be responsible for the development of the network demonstrates the strength of our position," said Richard Mirgon, immediate past president of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and PSA representative. "We continue to urge Congress and the Administration to join these local and state leaders and public and private sector first responders by actively advocating for allocation of the D Block to public safety with significant federal funding derived from other spectrum auction proceeds, and moving to actively prohibit the FCC from any effort to rush an auction of this critical national asset in the interim."

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