RFSTUF

Busy Week in Washington

Mr. Seybold Goes to Washington

Wednesday July 21, 2010 was a great day for Public Safety in Washington DC. The Public Safety Alliance (PSA) had arranged for a series of meetings with various House and Senate members and/or their staffs, meetings with the FCC and FCC Chairman, and a press conference in front of the Capital Building. Prior to the event, PSA members as well as many members from APCO had been working toward the goal of the introduction of legislation to re-allocate the 700-MHz D Block to Public Safety instead of it being auctioned to commercial interests. ...

...There is no guarantee that Public Safety will, in fact, end up with the D Block and funding for the networks, but I believe that the chances are much better than they were only a few months ago. One Congressional staffer told me that if the right bills are introduced, they should sail through Congress since he does not believe anyone in either the House or Senate will vote against Public Safety. I hope he is correct and I am struck with the dedication of many of the staffers who are telling me that they intend to get the bills written in August for a September introduction. Nothing is for sure in Washington DC and I am certainly not declaring victory, but I am very encouraged by the happenings in Washington DC on the 21^st and 22^nd of July. I was fortunate to be a part of these historic two days. I have been working relentlessly on this, along with many others, and I believe we are about to achieve Public Safety's goals of acquiring both the D Block and funding.

My hat is off to all those from the Public Safety community and the private sector who have worked so long and hard on this issue. It is truly amazing how everyone has come together for the betterment of Public Safety, which also translates to better Public Safety services for all of us. For my part, I will continue to push and prod whenever and wherever I feel it is needed and I honestly hope that those within the FCC who have pushed for a different outcome will not feel as though they were defeated. Our system is built on healthy debate, and the ultimate decision is still up to Congress. If the D Block is re-allocated to Public Safety, there will be no losers. We will all be winners.