The Hill News

As commander of Joint Task Force Katrina after the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, I saw firsthand the dangerous and life-threatening problems that resulted simply because our emergency first responders could not communicate with each other quickly and reliably from the moment the hurricane struck.  Sadly - and even though Katrina hit four years after the horror of the September 11 terror attacks - lives were once again lost because of this inability to communicate.  And ten years after that tragic day in 2001, first responders still don’t have the tools they need to communicate effectively in real time during a disaster.

Ever since my service with Joint Task Force Katrina, I’ve focused on improving disaster preparedness at every level, including finding solutions to communications issues facing first responders across the nation, and reviewing various proposals designed to address public safety’s existing communications needs.  Hurricane Irene! recently demonstrated vastly improved cooperation between government agencies; however, the challenge of real time communication among first responders and others increased the risks of tragedy.

On the tenth anniversary of the horror of 9/11, I am more frustrated than ever with the continuing delays in funding and deploying a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network.  First responders urgently need that network to carry out their mission, not only during major disasters and emergencies but in their everyday work keeping all of us safe.  Such a network would have eliminated many of the challenges first responders and disaster managers faced last month during Irene.

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