WASHINGTON-Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) plans to introduce two separate pieces of legislation aimed at aiding the public-service industry in its quest to secure additional spectrum and new equipment to take it through the year 2005.
Presiding over a March 11 town meeting held in conjunction with the annual National League of Cities meeting, Weldon-a former volunteer firefighter and fire chief-said he was in complete support of the Public Safety Wireless Communications Committee’s request for 24 megahertz, gleaned from a set-aside of certain parts of broadcast channels 60-69 now in auction contention, and that he would introduce legislation not only to codify the allocation but to begin the search for the additional 73 megahertz needed after 2005.
Weldon also pledged to forward a bill to establish a national low-interest loan program-funded at between $1 billion and $2 billion by auction proceeds-to purchase public-safety equipment. Pennsylvania and New York already have 2 percent loan programs available to public-safety entities to install new equipment or to upgrade existing systems. According to Weldon, Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), chairman of the House Telecommunications Subcommittee, supports the items.
Weldon founded and is co-chairman of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, which will continue to push the issue. He also thinks pressure will come from the 340-member Congressional Fire and EMS Caucus, one of the oldest and largest groups on the Hill.
The National League of Cities targeted public-safety spectrum as a “1997 hot issue” late last year, and it has informed Congress and the Clinton administration of its concerns.
“NLC urges rejection of any proposals to auction spectrum unless and until the current and future public-safety needs of states and local governments are addressed, and to immediately allocate 24 megahertz of spectrum in an area to ensure interoperability between local, state and federal agencies responsible for responding to accidents and disasters,” it stated in a February 1997 issue paper.
Convention attendees were urged to meet with congressmen and Federal Communications Commission officials on this matter last week. An NLC contingent led by its president, Mark Schwartz of Oklahoma City, met with FCC Chairman Reed Hundt March 11.
During the town-meeting panel discussion, John Dwyer, acting associate attorney general for the Justice Department, pointed to four issues that will affect public safety in the near future: a lack of spectrum that will result in congestion and interference, a need for more broadband spectrum to handle new law-enforcement and fire fighting services, the need for interoperability and more money. Dwyer added that his boss, Attorney General Janet Reno, also has earmarked spectrum as a top priority.
While admitting that there are parties that don’t want public safety to gain spectrum in the channel 60-69 range, Mike Amarosa, deputy commissioner for the New York City police department, pointed out that President Clinton backs the allocation.
