Chairman Greg Walden (OR-R) of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology has ordered a hearing titled "Oversight of FirstNet and Emergency Communications" on March 14, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern at 2123 Rayburn House office Building. The hearing will be webcast online at http://energycommerce.house.gov.
Two panels of witnesses will be appearing:
Panel One:
This panel will focus on implementation of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 establishing FirstNet, an independent entity within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration intended to help build a nationwide interoperable broadband public safety network. The entity has had 15 board members appointed in August of last year, 1 40-member Public Safety Advisory Committee appointed, and the Board is currently hiring its general manager. Issues likely to be discussed include the seven pilot projects that were suspended from broadband stimulus funding in May when the law was passed forming FirstNet earlier last year. NTIA officials said it wanted to ensure that the pilot networks were compatible with the ultimate network designed by FirstNet. FirstNet has said at its February 2013 board meeting that the suspensions might be lifted within 90 days if the projects comply with certain conditions and demonstrate how they will coordinate their networks with FirstNet.
The panel one members are:
Sam Ginn, Chairman, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)
Chris McIntosh, Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, Virginia
Ray Lehr, Director, Statewide Communications Interoperability Coordinator, Maryland
Adm. James A. Barnett, Jr., Rear Admiral USN (ret.), Former Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Partner and Co- Chair, Telecommunications Group, Venable LLP
Declan Ganley, Chairman & CEO, Rivada Networks
Panel Two: Emergency Communications
This panel will focus on how emergency communications has occurred in the past and what innovation in technology promises for the future. Past methods include the Emergency Alert System (EAS) begun in the 1950s, using the nation’s broadcast towers to deliver civil defense information. In 1963, the system was replaced by the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) which expanded its scope to provide public information about storms and other emergencies in addition to civil defense. The current EBS system includes broadcasters (TV and radio), cable systems, satellite television providers and satellite radio providers. EBS messages come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and are carried by certain broadcast stations for distribution. The FCC mandates its licensees to have equipment to pick up this signal and rebroadcast the messages to subscribers. A coordinated nationwide test of the national EAS system took place on November 9, 2011, for the first time. The test results were not perfect and questions are likely to be asked about the failure in part of the West Coast due to a technical malfunction and a recent hacking incident in Montana resulting in an alert going out to the public about a fake zombie attack.
The Subcommittee will also hear about the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, which focuses on geographically-targeted emergency and AMBER alerts to wireless users. Given the high penetration of Americans residents carrying wireless communication devices (101% according to CTIA), this issue has risen in prominence in recent years. The WEA system has the ability to bring geographically-targeted emergency and AMBER alerts to wireless users. Alerts originate from FEMA IPAWS similar to the EBS system.
There will also be discussion of the 9-1-1 system, the primary way the public receives emergency services over voice telephones. As of 2005, 9-1-1 service became available for Internet-based voice services. The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 also provided $115 million in funding to incorporate broadband connectivity into the 9-1-1 system. The goal is to allow 9-1-1 callers to send photos and video to the 9-1-1 system to improve situational awareness of major emergencies. It is a fact that a civilian with a smart phone has more technology in his hand that the typical emergency responder.
Panel two members are:
David Turetsky, Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission
Diane Kniowski, President and GM, WOOD/WOTV/WXSP, LIN Media
Christopher Guttman-McCabe, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA—The Wireless Association
Trey Forgety, Director, Government Affairs, National Emergency Number Association
