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PUBLIC SAFETY ASSOCIATIONS MEET TO FORM CONSENSUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONWIDE BROADBAND NETWORK
May 28, 2009, Alexandria, Va. - The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International hosted a meeting today of eight major public safety organizations to further address matters related to the development of a nationwide interoperable broadband network. The meeting included representatives from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC), Major County Sheriffs’ Association (MCS), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (MFCA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) in follow up to a meeting convened by MCC on April 20.
Today’s meeting, held in the Washington, DC, area, focused on continuing to foster consensus on the development and implementation of a public safety wireless broadband network.
The participating organizations substantially agreed:
to petition Congress to reallocate the D-Block creating a single 20 MHz block of broadband spectrum for use by public safety;
to support approval of waiver requests for use of 700 MHz public safety broadband spectrum and early build-out in those areas requesting the waivers;
on the need for sustainable funding for the operations of the Public Safety Spectrum Trust;
on general approaches regarding levels of service, roaming access, licensing and technical requirements.
"This second forum offered excellent continuity for the discussion held on April 20," said APCO International President-Elect Richard Mirgon, the meeting’s moderator. "Participants built on the successes of the previous meeting, advanced the consensus approach, and are now poised to further these highly productive conversations."
The group plans to continue to support a consensus-based approach to license and manage spectrum to create a nationwide broadband wireless network for public safety that addresses the needs of rural, suburban and metropolitan areas.
About APCO International
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications. APCO International serves the professional needs of its 15,000 members worldwide by creating a platform for setting professional standards, addressing professional issues and providing education, products and services for people who manage, operate, maintain and supply the communications systems used by police, fire and emergency medical dispatch agencies throughout the world. For more information, visit www.apcointl.org.
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