Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - June 21, 2005)

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am very pleased to join my good friend, the Senator from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, in introducing the Improve Interoperable Communications for First Responders Act of 2005. This legislation will strengthen our capabilities to prevent and respond to acts of terrorism. The bill we are introducing will improve communications among the various levels of government and will assist our State and local first responders in upgrading their communications equipment. I thank Senator Lieberman for his efforts in putting together this very important legislation and for working with me to make this bill a bipartisan effort.

According to the 9/11 Commission Report, interoperability--the ability for emergency responders to communicate with one another during an incident--was a serious problem on 9/11. On that fateful day, the NYPD Emergency Service Unit did manage to successfully convey evacuation instructions to personnel in the North Tower after the South Tower's collapse. This was accomplished by a combination of ``1. the strength of the radios, 2. the relatively small numbers of individuals using them, and 3. use of the correct channel by all.'' On the other hand, the 9/11 Commission Report pointed out that ``the same three factors worked against successful communication among FDNY personnel. First, the radios' effectiveness was drastically reduced in the high-rise environment. Second, tactical channel 1 was simply overwhelmed by the numbers of units attempting to communicate on it at 10:00 a.m. Third, some firefighters were on the wrong channel or simply lacked radios altogether.''

In addition, a Government Accountability Office report on interoperable communications released in June 2004 notes that the lives of first responders and those they are trying to assist can be lost when first responders cannot communicate effectively. That is the crux of the matter that the Lieberman-Collins bill seeks to address. A substantial barrier to effective communications, according to the GAO, is the use of incompatible wireless equipment by many agencies and levels of government when they are responding to a major emergency. From computer systems to emergency radios, the technology that should allow these different levels of government to communicate with each other too often is silenced by incompatibility. Clearly, the barrier to a truly unified effort against terrorism is a matter of both culture and equipment. This legislation will help break down that barrier.

The GAO recommends that Federal grants be used to encourage States to develop and implement plans to improve interoperable communications and that the Department of Homeland Security should establish a long-term program to coordinate these same communications upgrades throughout the Federal Government. Our legislation would do much to implement these sensible recommendations.

The National Governors Association recently released a survey of State and territorial homeland security advisors to determine their top 10 priorities and challenges facing states in the future. The number one priority was achieving interoperability in communications.

One of the most persistent messages that I hear from Maine's first responders is strong concern about the lack of compatibility in communications equipment. It remains a substantial impediment to their ability to respond effectively in the event of a terrorist attack. For a State like mine that has the largest port by tonnage in New England, two international airports, key defense installations, hundreds of miles of coastline, and a long international border, compatible communications equipment is essential. Yet it remains an illusive goal.

Maine's firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel do an amazing job in providing aid when a neighboring town is in need. Fires, floods, and accidents are local matters in which they have great expertise and experience. Their work on the front lines in the war against terrorism is, however, a joint responsibility. Maine's first responders, along with first responders across the country, are doing their part, but they need and deserve Federal help.

It is vitally important that we assist the States in getting the right communications technology into the hands of their first responders. That would be accomplished by the interoperability grant program in this legislation. The grant program guarantees every state a share of interoperability funding and makes additional funding available for states with special needs and vulnerabilities. It is designed to get this vital funding to first responders quickly, in coordination with a statewide plan.

A recent study by the Council on Foreign Relations estimates the total cost of nationwide communications compatibility at $6.8 billion.

Our legislation authorizes a total of $3.3 billion over a 5 year period for grants dedicated to achieving communications interoperability. That is a reasonable and necessary contribution by the Federal Government to this important partnership.

The legislation will also help to identify and answer the policy and technology questions necessary to achieve interoperability. It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a comprehensive, competitive research and development program. This includes conducting research through the Directorate of Science and Technology Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, (HSARPA) and establishing a Center of Excellence focused on enhancing information and communications systems for first responders.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2002, P.L. 108-458, which Senator Lieberman and I authored, directs the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) in DHS to provide overall federal leadership to achieve interoperability. Our legislative initiative builds on this current policy by providing the OIC the resources and authorities necessary to conduct extensive, nationwide outreach, develop a national strategy and national architecture, and conduct pilot programs to evaluate and validate new technology concepts.

We must all work together to achieve interoperability for all our first responders. Coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders will be imperative if the brave men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis are to be fully prepared.

I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation to build a better and stronger homeland security partnership with our first responders.

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