Paul Kapustka's Blog
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July 26, 2006
Is Congress getting serious about disaster communications? Maybe
Setting itself up as the prime nominee for the "day late and a dollar short" award, the House of Representatives Tuesday made a bold move and approved legislation designed to set national standards for emergency communications -- but left out the part about who should foot the bill. At the very least, the House has admitted there's a problem. As we approach the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, better late than never is as positive as we can be.
As I and others have written before, the fact that first-responder communications are still in such a state of disarray should have cost more people than heckuva job Mikey their government employment. Why are we not asking, on a daily basis, when the Bush administration and its Dept. of [questionable] Homeland Security exactly expect to start making repairs? After the next hurricane?
Our own Jeff Pulver, along with Tom Evslin, continue to press forward with real action, including their plan to compel service providers to implement new technologies to keep people connected even when central offices are underwater. Jeff also blogged recently about another disaster-prepardness effort, and how Internet types and amateur radio ("hams," typically the most-prepared group in emergencies) operators might work together.
Meanwhile, at the FCC disaster things seem to be following the Bush administration and Congress' leisurely pace. After proclaiming last Fall that he would create a Bureau of Homeland Security, chairman Kevin Martin hasn't actually accomplished that goal yet.
Separately, the FCC's blue-ribbon panel on Katrina's impacts just issued its list of recommendations, which includes a curious suggestion that all communications workers who participate in recovery operations be "credentialed" under the auspices of NSTAC (National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee). Is this a good or bad thing? Does credentialing mean that ad hoc support groups won't be allowed into disaster areas? Time for some summer reading, folks, to figure this all out before the next storm hits.
Comments on the Katrina panel recommendations are due by Aug. 7, so please read the report and don't be left without having your voice heard.
Clearly, we agree with Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., who had this to say during Tuesday's debate on the bill:
Yet many in Congress sit, after 9/11, after Hurricane Katrina, wondering why no real progress has been made. That changes today. The bottom line is this: (the legislation) will improve the capability of first responders to communicate during times of emergency.
Bully for Pacrell, but let's see the follow-through in the Senate and some equal effort from the FCC. Just so we're not all left in the dark again for lack of trying.
Posted by paul at July 26, 2006 01:33 PM