Chertoff Gives Public Safety Communications Progress Mixed Reviews
The U.S. has made “substantial” progress on interoperable communications in the eight years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but much work remains to be done, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a speech Thursday at the National Press Club. Next Friday marks the eighth anniversary of the attacks, which led to the creation of DHS.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
“The bad news is, we've still got a ways to go,” said Chertoff, who founded a consulting firm after leaving the government. “There still are variations in jurisdictions on issues like do you have gateways, do you have governance plans that allow you to talk within your region. What do you do when people come from far away and they have vastly different types of [communications] capabilities?”
Chertoff noted that whether first responders will soon have access to a dedicated broadband wireless network like one proposed for the 700 MHz D-block also remains a huge question. “I'm not one who looks at the last eight years and says we haven’t made progress,” he said. “I think those who say that are probably unaware of the progress we have made. But I will say it is disappointing that we haven’t … reached a decision point on the dedicated spectrum.”
Lack of training also remains a huge communications issue, Chertoff said. “There are still too many responders who, even if they could get the equipment, wouldn’t understand how to use it,” he said. “Matters are more complicated by the fact that we're in a technical revolution, that increasingly we have different modes of communications, VoIP, traditional wireless, traditional radio. How do you determine which is the right approach to take both on your day-to-day use and on your emergency use?” Another challenge, he said, is that many first responder agencies do not use the same language or codes to communicate on their radios.
Chertoff also sees signs of progress. “In the last couple of years we've distributed over $1 billion to states and localities for the purposes of promoting interoperable communications,” he said. “Technical advances have been made that now allow different types of radios and different kinds of communications devices through what they call gateways … portable switches that allow you to cross various kinds of frequencies.”
Some areas of the country in particular have made progress, Chertoff said, citing Washington, D.C., as “as one of the areas where interoperability is most advanced.” Chertoff also noted that later this year, the Science and Technology Directorate of DHS will conduct the final phase of its multi-band radio program. “That radio -- if it passes the test -- will enable emergency responders to communicate with partner agencies regardless of radio band,” he said.
Events since the 2001 attacks continue to reinforce the need for better emergency communications, Chertoff said. “Right now there’s fire fighting in California,” he said. “Likewise, everything we experienced in 2007, 2008, which were very tough years for natural disasters, underscored that these investments saved lives, even without the issue of terrorism.”
Chertoff acknowledged that tough financial times faced by many local governments work against the purchase of new radios and other interoperable communications equipment. But he expects progress to continue, regardless. “There is a continuing stream of money for grants for homeland security, including communications grants that are made available to state and local governments,” he said. “The key is to spend the money wisely. Some people take the view ‘let’s scrap all the communications equipment and buy fresh.’ I think that would be an exorbitant way to deal with the problem.”
Public safety agencies need to build on their “existing architecture,” and bring in equipment to bridge systems already in place, he said. Chertoff also said more agencies should consider leasing equipment rather than buying it, given rapid changes in technology.
Asked about a cross-border public safety communications agreement signed by Mexico and the U.S. this week (CD Sept 3 p8), Chertoff said it was a positive development. “It builds on a set of agreements … on cross-border violence” aimed at helping police arrest criminals who cross the border, he said. “It’s obvious in order to make the promise of that agreement come to fruition you need to have real time capability to communicate.” - Howard Buskirk