21st Century Emergency Communications Act of 2006

21ST CENTURY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 2006

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Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Reichert for his outstanding leadership on this important piece of legislation, which, in my view, will ultimately save lives.

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year, the Nation witnessed emergency response problems at all levels of government, especially with interoperability between our first responders. After Katrina and Rita, like on September 11, first responders and military personnel on the scene could not communicate effectively with each other.

This crucial piece of legislation will work to improve interoperability for our first responders by bolstering the national standards for emergency communications equipment. The bill also gives incentives to the States to improve their emergency communications plans and creates regional working groups to help Federal first responders better coordinate with their State and local counterparts.

Prior to coming to Congress, I served as chief of terrorism and national security in the U.S. Attorney's office in Texas. I also led the joint terrorism task force charged with detecting, deterring and preventing terrorist activity. I have worked with first responders for most of my professional career and have learned through experience that the ability to communicate between the Federal, State and local levels means saving lives, whether it is a terrorist attack or destruction at the hands of Mother Nature.

The time to fix and improve communications for our first responders is now, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this important bill.

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