First Responders Tell House Panel Problems Remain 20 Years After 9/11
Emergency communications have improved since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, including the launch of FirstNet, but problems persist, said Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), chair of the House Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Subcommittee, during a virtual hearing Thursday. The Homeland Security Committee panel heard from first responders who warned of funding shortfalls and that many areas are falling further behind as technology advances.
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Lack of “operability and interoperability remain among the greatest concerns that first responders and public safety officials face,” said Demings, a former police chief. During the 9/11 attacks “firefighters were unable to communicate among themselves and with each other, delaying response,” she said: “I know firsthand how valuable every second is when responding to an emergency and that being unable to get in touch with fellow officers can have detrimental consequences.”
“There’s still more to be done,” said Mel Maier, captain in the Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office. “There is still a lack of coordination and interoperability among agency communication systems and varying levels of system maturity including the continued reliance upon legacy proprietary systems.”
Many areas are on “the verge” of deploying next-generation 911, Maier said. “Without federal funding, many jurisdictions will not be able to transition to NG911 anytime soon,” he said: “This will create a patchwork of haves and have-nots. … Some 911 centers will achieve NG911 while others, especially those in rural areas, will not have the means.”
“Although our nation has seen significant changes to the way first responders communicate, there are still significant gaps and lapses in coverage areas,” said H.D. Deloach, sheriff in Putnam County, Florida. The county uses an “antiquated” analog VHF radio system “primarily assembled from parts of decommissioned systems that were donated from other areas and were otherwise destined for a landfill,” Deloach said: “This effectively isolates us with no ability to communicate with our counterparts that we frequently work with or rely on for assistance.” Post-9/11, it was relatively easy to get federal funding, but most of that's no longer available, he said. Putnam County has to choose whether to pay for enough emergency responders or new technology, but can’t afford both, he said.
The FCC’s 2013 order mandating narrowbanding for VHF systems also caused problems for his county, Deloach said. “The net effect … was a greatly reduced ability to transmit or receive radio traffic, especially in buildings or isolated rural areas,” he said.
Calls to 911 are often sent to the wrong call centers “resulting in significant delays,” said Chris Lombard, deputy chief of the Seattle Fire Department: “We should be able to do better in an emergency and this highlights the need for 911 infrastructure to catch up.” He urged Congress to fund NG911.
About half of all fire departments don’t have enough portable radios to equip all emergency responders on a shift, Lombard said. They also face staffing shortages because of funding shortfalls, he said. He urged the FCC to preserve the 4.9 GHz band for public safety and monitor interference in the 6 GHz band.
When people talk about emergency communications “they think in terms of radios,” said Chris Rodriguez, director of the Washington, D.C., Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. “But the solutions to these communications challenges are multifaceted, and they span technologies beyond just land mobile radios.”
Wireless emergency alerts are a “powerful tool” in reaching the public, but “we still see challenges with the accuracy of geofencing, which can lead to bleed-over outside of our intended target area,” Rodriguez said. Overuse of WEAs “can lead individuals to opt out of the service, which would limit our ability to reach them in a dire emergency,” he said.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, noted she was in the U.S. Capitol on 9/11 and, like other members, was told to run. “The first level of information was not any information, because we did not have the connectedness that we needed,” she said: “It is all about infrastructure. It is all about the connectedness that you need to communicate.” Too many first responders still use 1950s and 1960s technology, she said.
“Without critical information coming in, it is very difficult to make informed, life-saving, critical decisions,” said subcommittee ranking member Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “First responders in rural areas … oftentimes do not have the necessary funding to update their technology, and even when they are able to secure the necessary funds, the technology can be unreliable because of lack of coverage,” she said.