Editor’s note: APCO International and other members of the Public Safety Alliance are fighting to ensure public safety gets the spectrum it needs for a nationwide interoperable broadband network. Legislation, S. 911: The Public Safety Spectrum & Wireless Innovation Act of 2011, is waiting to be considered by the Senate. Below APCO President Bill Carrow explains how you can help the effort.

Bill Carrow

My name is Bill Carrow, and I am the President of APCO International. I need your help to CALL, EMAIL, AND WRITE the Congressional Representative(s) below to request them to support the allocation of D Block and funding to build out a state-of-the-art nationwide broadband network for first responders. I also need you to reach out to family members, other APCO members and friends in the public safety community and encourage them to contact their Congressional Representative.

I need you to ask Representative(s) from your State’s Congressional delegation, as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to support the introduction of a companion bill to S. 911, the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act that was passed through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on a strong 21-4 bipartisan vote.

When you call, email or fax the Representative, please make sure you mention your Name, Title, Agency, City and State and tell them the following:

“I urge Representative «LAST_NAME» to support introduction of a companion bill to S.911, the bipartisan Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011, as the House Energy and Commerce Committee considers what to do with the D Block spectrum. It is vital that public safety is allocated the spectrum and funding proposed in S. 911.”

In California, we need constituents to contact the following Congressional staffer(s):

Rep. Doris O. Matsui
Mr. Kyle Victor
kyle.victor@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-7163
Fax: (202) 225-0566

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo
Ms. Casey Fromson
casey.fromson@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-8104
Fax: (202) 225-8890

Rep. Lois Capps
Ms. Danielle LeTendre
danielle.letendre@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-3601
Fax: (202) 225-5632

Rep. Henry A. Waxman
Ms. Patricia Coufal Delgado
pat.delgado@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-3976
Fax: (202) 225-4099

Rep. Mary Bono Mack
Ms. Anjulen Anderson
anjulen.anderson@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-5330
Fax: (202) 225-2961

Rep. Brian P. Bilbray
Ms. Lorissa Bounds
lorissa.bounds@mail.house.gov
Phone:(202) 225-0508
Fax: (202) 225-2558

Why do you need to act?
Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller, IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), recently introduced bipartisan legislation, S. 911: the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act of 2011. This bipartisan legislation would mandate that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocate the D Block to public safety, along with significant federal funding derived from other spectrum auction proceeds, for the creation of a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network. The entire public safety and state and local government community also strongly supports this legislation as a top priority.

We need the House Energy and Commerce Committee to act now to take up and pass companion legislation to S. 911 before the 10th Anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has held a series of hearings on this matter in the past few months, as well as in previous years, has gathered and considered the facts, and now needs to act to move legislation to the floor of the House before adjourning for their month-long August recess.

Our nation’s first responders have waited long enough. These committee members need to hear from you, your family, your neighbors and your colleagues that the time is now to allocate the D Block and provide funding to public safety to finally realize a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network, as recommended by the 9/11 Commission and reiterated by its bipartisan co-chairs in testimony before Congress earlier this year.

On behalf of APCO International’s Board of Directors, as well as the leadership of the Public Safety Alliance, I want to thank you for your support and again urge your immediate action on this critical issue.

Sincerely,
William D. Carrow, President
APCO International