The Department of Homeland Security has issued a press release announcing the release of application guidance for more than $500 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness grants for fire station construction, port and transit security - funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This includes $150 million for the Port Security Grant Program and $150 million for the Transit Security Grant Program. (DHS press release available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1243604359686.shtm.)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective May 28, 2009, to amend its regulations for Executive Order 13400, "Blocking Property of Certain Persons in Connection With the Conflict in Sudan's Darfur Region," under which sanctions have been in place since April 27, 2006.
CTIA and National Emergency Number Association officials warned that a growing number of states are redirecting E-911 funds, especially in light of the slumping economy and budget problems. In most of the states where the funds are being raided, many counties still don’t have E911 Phase II coverage, or in some cases even basic Phase I coverage. The FCC is scheduled to take on the issue in a report it will make to Congress in July as a requirement of NET 911 Improvement Act.
AT&T and Sprint Nextel urged the FCC to abolish a telecom relay service rule requiring conventional Teletype TRS providers to automatically and immediately call the appropriate public safety answering point when they get a 711 emergency call from an interconnected-VoIP user. In separate comments last week at the FCC, AT&T and Sprint said such users make too few of the calls to justify the costs of building the system needed to comply. But consumer groups said “people with disabilities must have the same access to emergency services as any person without disabilities.”
Many questions remain about what form their final plan will take following a meeting Thursday sponsored by APCO and eight other public safety organizations on the future of the 700 MHz D-block. The groups said in a news release that they agreed to petition Congress to reallocate the D-block, creating a single 20 MHz block of broadband spectrum for use by public safety. They also agreed on the need for “sustainable funding for the operations of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust,” which is expected to play a big role in any plan. Among key questions is where the money would come from to pay for a network and what role the PSST will play.
CTIA and the National Emergency Number Association protested a decision by Wisconsin to transfer $20 million in funds raised through a 911 surcharge to the state’s general fund. The state faces a $1.6 billion budget deficit as a result of the nation’s slumping economy. Wisconsin previously imposed a 75-cent monthly 911 surcharge on all phone lines, including cellphones and VoIP lines. “This funding is extremely critical to Wisconsin’s 911 systems and ensures that 911 callers can quickly be located in emergency situations and receive an effective emergency response,” CTIA and NENA said in a letter to Governor Jim Doyle, a Democrat. These “911 calls save lives, locate missing children and prevent numerous crimes. The 911 system is also in need of an upgrade and diverting these funds will potentially delay efforts within the state to modernize the state’s 911 system.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective May 28, 2009, to amend its regulations for Executive Order 13413, "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," under which sanctions have been in place since October 30, 2006.
An FCC report on rural broadband prescribes government intervention to spur availability and demand. The report, released publicly on Wednesday, was required by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill and did not require sign off by all commissioners. Instead, writing in the first-person, acting Chairman Michael Copps highlighted common problems affecting rural broadband, including technological challenges, lack of data and high network costs. Copps also urged a revamp of the Universal Service Fund, new rules on network openness and an audit of all spectrum that the FCC has licensed, with an eye on where it is being used effectively or should be subject to more use on a secondary basis.
The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and the Canadian Public Safety Minister issued a joint statement during their meeting at the U.S.-Canada border. The joint statement addresses the Canada-U.S. Framework for the Movement of Goods and People Across the Border During and Following an Emergency. (DHS press release, including link to framework, dated 05/27/09, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1243434829897.shtm.)
An FCC report on rural broadband prescribes government intervention to spur availability and demand. The report, released publicly on Wednesday, was required by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill and did not require sign off by all commissioners.