FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
February 18, 2010 Robert Kenny: (202) 418-2668
Email: robert.kenny@fcc.gov
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ANNOUNCES NEW DATE
FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE INTEROPERABILITY FORUM
Public forum on Creation of Interoperability Center Set for March 2
Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) has rescheduled its public forum to discuss the creation of an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications for Tuesday, March 2, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. The March 2nd meeting will be held in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305) located at 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. Please note that this forum had been originally scheduled for February 10, 2010, but was postponed due to severe winter weather.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Program, and the Bureau will make brief opening remarks. The floor will then be open to the audience for questions and comments. Attendees who would like to speak will be given no more than three minutes to ask questions and/or make comments. Those who are interested in speaking at the forum must notify Susan McLean, PSHSB Outreach Coordinator, at Susan.McLean@fcc.gov no later than noon on Friday, February 26, 2010. Due to the limited meeting time, speakers will be given time to speak on a first come, first served basis. All information gathered in connection with this forum, whether submitted in person or over the Internet, will be made part of the record in the National Broadband Plan proceeding, GN Docket No. 09-51. Please Note: all who registered to attend the February 10th public forum and may have requested to provide public comment must re-register for the March 2nd event and again request to speak (please see details on pre-registration below).
The Bureau is holding this public forum in response to public comments the Commission received as part of the National Broadband Plan proceedings which identified the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among public safety entities to achieve broadband interoperability and operability. The forum will examine ways in which this goal could be achieved, including the creation of an emergency response interoperability center to develop common standards and to provide interoperability and operating procedures for the public safety licensee authorized to construct, operate and use the nationwide wireless broadband network.
The attached concept paper on the emergency response interoperability center’s proposed primary mission, responsibilities and structure is for discussion at the forum. The forum will solicit ideas and comments from interested parties on these topics and the concept paper. Discussions will also focus on the center’s role in accomplishing critical tasks such as establishing a public safety interoperability profile, interoperability standards, authentication, encryption, roaming, priority access, application uses and interconnectivity. The forum will also focus on the role an emergency response interoperability center would play in establishing a national framework for gateway functionality and interface capabilities, as well as a national framework for interconnectivity and compatibility of user networks.
The forum will also address how an interoperability center could help in resolving interoperability-related disputes between public safety entities, establishing standards for commercial providers to expand public safety’s access to broadband services across the nation, and ensuring that grant funds are utilized efficiently.
The forum will be open to the public; admittance however will be limited to the seating available. Those individuals who are interested in attending the forum may pre-register on-line at http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/event-registration.html. Those who pre-register will be asked to provide their name, title, organization affiliation, and contact information. Individuals may also contact Deandrea Wilson at Deandrea.Wilson@fcc.gov or by phone at 202-418-0703 regarding pre-registration. The deadline for pre-registration is Friday, February 26, 2010.
Audio/Video coverage of the meeting will be broadcast live with open captioning over the Internet from the FCC's web page at www.fcc.gov/realaudio. The FCC’s web cast is free to the public and does not require pre-registration.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodation you will need. Individuals making such requests must include their contact information should FCC staff need to contact them for more information. Requests should be made as early as possible. Please send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau: 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
For additional information about the meeting, please contact Susan McLean by email: Susan.McLean@fcc.gov or by phone: 202-418-7868.
