Today marks the one-year anniversary of enactment of landmark legislation that created FirstNet and will lead to the deployment of an advanced, nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network. From the printed words of the law, we are witnessing tangible evidence of what public safety successfully fought for, including a dedicated FirstNet board, armed with spectrum […]
The Spectrum Alphabet
For folks unfamiliar with the concept of “radiofrequency spectrum,” it wasn’t easy to comprehend what the heck the “D block” was and why it was so important for public safety. Think of spectrum like highways – some are wider than others, some are better paved, some have more traffic, some are more direct, etc. But […]
Sandy
Unfortunately, Sandy, the Hurricane turned Superstorm, has become yet another large-scale disaster, with ongoing effects for the foreseeable future. During my tenure at the FCC, I had the opportunity to serve a role in the federal National Response Framework (specifically, Emergency Support Function #2 – Communications). Throughout my career, including my current position with APCO, I […]
Time to Innovate
Public safety communications technology is advancing in ways that will completely transform emergency response. The decades-old networks first responders and PSAPs now use – land mobile radio, 9-1-1, and emergency alert systems – are catching up to the modern, IP-based technologies that we as consumers enjoy every day. The consumer marketplace is flooded with smart […]
A Great Start
In another milestone on our way to achieving an advanced, nationwide interoperable, wireless public safety broadband network, the newly constituted FirstNet Board held its inaugural meeting last week in Washington, DC. To see the four public safety representatives assembled with the rest of the highly qualified board members, further joined by the U.S. Acting Secretary […]
Time to Roll Up Our Sleeves
Coming off a spectacular annual conference that included a Cabinet member, Acting Secretary of Commerce Dr. Rebecca Blank, announcing at our opening general session the public safety, state and local government, and private sector appointments to the FirstNet board, we all now need to get to work. Let me emphasize the talent of this board. […]
A terrific line-up for conference
While I’ve been a guest at APCO’s Annual Conferences in the past, this is the first year I’m on the “inside” and it’s been a terrific experience thus far. I’m especially excited with the sessions that our Government Relations team has set up. Not only do we have a number of highly esteemed government officials […]
FirstNet is Almost Here
A united public safety community achieved a great success this past February with enactment of the public safety broadband legislation. In all significant respects, public safety received the spectrum, funding, and nationwide governance structure it lobbied for and which all agreed were essential to success. With the reallocation of the D Block for public safety […]
"Tabletop Exercise"
A “Tabletop Exercise,” often shortened as “TTX,” is a discussion-based exercise frequently used by emergency planners. Led by a facilitator using a planned scenario, TTX participants describe the actions they would take, and the processes and procedures they would follow. The facilitator notes the players’ contributions, and ensures that exercise objectives are met. Following the exercise, the facilitator […]
