Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

"On the ground, the people that get there first can't talk to each
other because the radio communications don't work," Kean told CNN
Sunday. "They haven't got enough what's called spectrum."

News media last week reported that police forces in New Orleans City
and the three surrounding parishes all use different and incompatible
radio equipment.

Experts say that proper equipment and training and freeing up more
and better frequencies are essential pre-requisites for reaching the
holy grail of full communications interoperability for first
responders.

Kean said a bill in Congress to provide more spectrum was
stalled. "Nothing has been happening, and again, people on the
ground -- police, fire, medical personnel -- couldn't talk to each
other."

"That's outrageous and it's a scandal and I think it cost lives," he
concluded.

At issue are the recommendations of a 1995 congressional panel that,
as TV broadcasters transitioned to digital transmission -- which
takes up a much smaller fraction of the spectrum -- the frequencies
freed up would be allocated to first responders.

Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers is making a new push for the
legislation.

"We have not kept the promise we made 10 years ago," said Rep. Jane
Harman, D-Calif., calling the situation "a black eye" and "an
embarrassment" for lawmakers.

She and Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Penn., have written to Speaker of the
House Rep. Denny Hastert, R-Ill., to ask for a suspension of the
normal rules of debate so that a bill to enforce a deadline for
handing the relevant frequencies to first responders can be passed
this week.

In the Senate, a similar measure, sponsored by John McCain, R-Ariz.,
and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is currently before the Commerce, Science
and Transportation Committee.

Spokesman Amy Call said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R.-Tenn,
was working with Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Stevens, R-
Alaska to try and get that bill to the floor soon, too.

"The Leader saw first hand on the ground the challenges, and is
working with several members about further fixes in this area," Call
told United Press International at the weekend.

The parts of the spectrum identified by the 1995 Public Safety
Wireless Advisory Committee report are in the high 700-Mhz range --
which experts say is ideal for use by emergency services because
signals sent over these frequencies can penetrate walls and travel
long distances.

"This (part of the spectrum) is prime real estate," said Yucel Ors of
the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, a non-
profit that represents first responder and emergency management
communications specialists.

But, he added, "There are squatters on it," referring to the TV
broadcasters.

The law passed in response to the 1995 report set a Jan. 1, 2007,
target date for broadcasters to free up that part of the spectrum.

"But there's a huge get out for them," a congressional staffer who
has worked on the issue told United Press International. Broadcasters
are not required to relinquish their spectrum allocation until 85
percent of households in their market have the equipment needed to
receive digital signals.

The staffer said that this creates "a chicken and egg" problem --
without a firm date for the transition from analogue, there is no
incentive for viewers or broadcasters to upgrade to digital
equipment, and penetration remains well below the 85 percent baseline
in most major markets.

Broadcasters and their supporters say that imposing a deadline would
penalize those viewers who cannot afford new equipment, and that
households replace electronic goods like TV sets every few years,
arguing this should lead eventually to major markets crossing the 85
percent threshold.

But Michael Powell, then chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission, testified last year to the Senate commerce committee that
the 85 percent penetration test could result in transition being
delayed for "decades or multiple decades."

"It is time to tell the broadcasters to get out of the way," said
Weldon, blaming "the lethargy of Congress -- both parties and both
chambers" for the failure to move on this issue before.

Ors said that broadcasters had also lobbied hard against a
deadline. "They have more resources than we do," he said, "First
responders are busy on the front lines, we don't have as much time as
they do to lobby Congress."

Experts are keen to stress that spectrum is just one of the pieces in
the interoperability jigsaw.

"Even if the ... deadline is imposed," said the congressional
staffer, "this is going to take some time."

The other pieces of the puzzle include equipment and training, but as
Ors points out, even in these areas, delays in freeing up the
spectrum become a problem.

"Until there's a firm date (for the transition) public safety
agencies can't make the investments in the equipment they need" to
make use of the new frequencies, he told UPI, adding that
manufacturers were also loath to spend money developing and marketing
equipment which could remain effectively unusable until some yet-to-
be-determined date in the future.

But the trickiest piece of all, according to the congressional
staffer, is what he called "the human element," and Ors refers to as
planning.

"Without clear planning (by neighboring jurisdictions), without
proper staffing and training, you can have all the spectrum and
equipment you need and it won't get you there," said Ors.

"There are cultural problems between fire departments and police
forces and (emergency medical services)," said the congressional
staffer.

And in huge disasters like Hurricane Katrina has caused, a lack of
interoperability can be the least of first responder worries.

Kenneth Moran, acting director of the homeland security office in the
Federal Communications Commission, told a House Energy and Commerce
Committee hearing Wednesday that interoperability had been only one
among many problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- which
blew down transmission towers and cut power in huge swathes of the
Gulf coast.

"We did see interoperability problems," he said, "But the biggest
problems we saw initially were things that were needed to get the
(cellular and broadcast) networks up and that tended to be security
issues, staging of personnel to get them in there and ... also trying
to get fuel (for generators) into the areas until the power would
come up."

But responders say that -- in a situation of prolonged crisis like
the one in Louisiana -- the time before and after the towers go down
and the power goes off is as important as any other.

"Good, strong communications help you prepare better and recover
faster," said Harlin McEwen, a retired FBI official and the chairman
of the communications and technology committee of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=...2-033839-5152r


--
73, de Hans, K0HB
--
Member:
ARRL http://www.arrl.org
SOC http://www.qsl.net/soc
VWOA http://www.vwoa.org
A-1 Operator Club http://www.arrl.org/awards/a1-op/
TCDXA http://www.tcdxa.org
MWA http://www.w0aa.org
TCFMC http://www.tcfmc.org
FISTS http://www.fists.org
LVDXA http://www.upstel.net/borken/lvdxa.htm
NCI http://www.nocode.org

Sure, they can nibble at the ham bands. But there's not much spectrum
to be had from them below 400 MHz. All of 6, 2 and 220 only adds up to
about two TV channels.

What you're really seeing is a push to end NTSC TV transmissions, and
go to DTV exclusively.

IMHO

73 de Jim, N2EY

wrote in message
ups.com...
Sure, they can nibble at the ham bands. But there's not much spectrum
to be had from them below 400 MHz. All of 6, 2 and 220 only adds up to
about two TV channels.

What you're really seeing is a push to end NTSC TV transmissions, and
go to DTV exclusively.

IMHO

73 de Jim, N2EY


Hello, Jim

I'm not sure they'd want anything below UHF. If you are inside of a steel
building, I suspect they'd be better off at higher frequencies as they will
tend to bounce around and find an egress far easier than VHF.

A 6 meter HT is going to have antenna/ground efficiency problems as well.
It is far better than 10 (or 11, for that matter), but still is limited with
a small antenna and a far from satisfactory ground. Plus the wavelength is
going to have a difficult time getting outside of a building.

2 meters is better, but still lacking. 440 is better, but up around 1 GHz
would probably be better than the VHF television channels.



73 from Rochester, NY
Jim AA2QA

wrote:
Sure, they can nibble at the ham bands. But there's not much spectrum
to be had from them below 400 MHz. All of 6, 2 and 220 only adds up to
about two TV channels.

What you're really seeing is a push to end NTSC TV transmissions, and
go to DTV exclusively.

IMHO

Even out here in the sticks, I've been watching mostly digital or HDTV
for about two years. All of the Pittsburgh area stations are now
broacasting in at least DTV. One of the 'local' stations has one
channel of HDTV and a digital, full-time weather channel (the other
local is broadcasting DTV with only about 30w and doesn't have enough
signal to get here). My West Virginia PBS station is simulcasting three
DTV/HDTV "channels" and Ohio PBS from Cambridge is set up for five
DTV/HDTV "channels".

The difference between the analog and HDTV sigs is as great as seeing
your first color TV set after years of black and white viewing.

Congress needs to get moving on this thing. They've already moved the
cutover date at least once.

Dave K8MN

KØHB wrote:
Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

"On the ground, the people that get there first can't talk to each
other because the radio communications don't work," Kean told CNN
Sunday. "They haven't got enough what's called spectrum."

News media last week reported that police forces in New Orleans City
and the three surrounding parishes all use different and incompatible
radio equipment.

Experts say that proper equipment and training and freeing up more
and better frequencies are essential pre-requisites for reaching the
holy grail of full communications interoperability for first
responders.

Kean said a bill in Congress to provide more spectrum was
stalled. "Nothing has been happening, and again, people on the
ground -- police, fire, medical personnel -- couldn't talk to each
other."

"That's outrageous and it's a scandal and I think it cost lives," he
concluded.

At issue are the recommendations of a 1995 congressional panel that,
as TV broadcasters transitioned to digital transmission -- which
takes up a much smaller fraction of the spectrum -- the frequencies
freed up would be allocated to first responders.

Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers is making a new push for the
legislation.

"We have not kept the promise we made 10 years ago," said Rep. Jane
Harman, D-Calif., calling the situation "a black eye" and "an
embarrassment" for lawmakers.

She and Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Penn., have written to Speaker of the
House Rep. Denny Hastert, R-Ill., to ask for a suspension of the
normal rules of debate so that a bill to enforce a deadline for
handing the relevant frequencies to first responders can be passed
this week.

In the Senate, a similar measure, sponsored by John McCain, R-Ariz.,
and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., is currently before the Commerce, Science
and Transportation Committee.

Spokesman Amy Call said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R.-Tenn,
was working with Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Stevens, R-
Alaska to try and get that bill to the floor soon, too.

"The Leader saw first hand on the ground the challenges, and is
working with several members about further fixes in this area," Call
told United Press International at the weekend.

The parts of the spectrum identified by the 1995 Public Safety
Wireless Advisory Committee report are in the high 700-Mhz range --
which experts say is ideal for use by emergency services because
signals sent over these frequencies can penetrate walls and travel
long distances.

"This (part of the spectrum) is prime real estate," said Yucel Ors of
the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, a non-
profit that represents first responder and emergency management
communications specialists.

But, he added, "There are squatters on it," referring to the TV
broadcasters.

The law passed in response to the 1995 report set a Jan. 1, 2007,
target date for broadcasters to free up that part of the spectrum.

"But there's a huge get out for them," a congressional staffer who
has worked on the issue told United Press International. Broadcasters
are not required to relinquish their spectrum allocation until 85
percent of households in their market have the equipment needed to
receive digital signals.

The staffer said that this creates "a chicken and egg" problem --
without a firm date for the transition from analogue, there is no
incentive for viewers or broadcasters to upgrade to digital
equipment, and penetration remains well below the 85 percent baseline
in most major markets.

Broadcasters and their supporters say that imposing a deadline would
penalize those viewers who cannot afford new equipment, and that
households replace electronic goods like TV sets every few years,
arguing this should lead eventually to major markets crossing the 85
percent threshold.

But Michael Powell, then chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission, testified last year to the Senate commerce committee that
the 85 percent penetration test could result in transition being
delayed for "decades or multiple decades."

"It is time to tell the broadcasters to get out of the way," said
Weldon, blaming "the lethargy of Congress -- both parties and both
chambers" for the failure to move on this issue before.

Ors said that broadcasters had also lobbied hard against a
deadline. "They have more resources than we do," he said, "First
responders are busy on the front lines, we don't have as much time as
they do to lobby Congress."

Experts are keen to stress that spectrum is just one of the pieces in
the interoperability jigsaw.

"Even if the ... deadline is imposed," said the congressional
staffer, "this is going to take some time."

The other pieces of the puzzle include equipment and training, but as
Ors points out, even in these areas, delays in freeing up the
spectrum become a problem.

"Until there's a firm date (for the transition) public safety
agencies can't make the investments in the equipment they need" to
make use of the new frequencies, he told UPI, adding that
manufacturers were also loath to spend money developing and marketing
equipment which could remain effectively unusable until some yet-to-
be-determined date in the future.

But the trickiest piece of all, according to the congressional
staffer, is what he called "the human element," and Ors refers to as
planning.

"Without clear planning (by neighboring jurisdictions), without
proper staffing and training, you can have all the spectrum and
equipment you need and it won't get you there," said Ors.

"There are cultural problems between fire departments and police
forces and (emergency medical services)," said the congressional
staffer.

And in huge disasters like Hurricane Katrina has caused, a lack of
interoperability can be the least of first responder worries.

Kenneth Moran, acting director of the homeland security office in the
Federal Communications Commission, told a House Energy and Commerce
Committee hearing Wednesday that interoperability had been only one
among many problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina -- which
blew down transmission towers and cut power in huge swathes of the
Gulf coast.

"We did see interoperability problems," he said, "But the biggest
problems we saw initially were things that were needed to get the
(cellular and broadcast) networks up and that tended to be security
issues, staging of personnel to get them in there and ... also trying
to get fuel (for generators) into the areas until the power would
come up."

But responders say that -- in a situation of prolonged crisis like
the one in Louisiana -- the time before and after the towers go down
and the power goes off is as important as any other.

"Good, strong communications help you prepare better and recover
faster," said Harlin McEwen, a retired FBI official and the chairman
of the communications and technology committee of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police.


It is an interesting idea. It is good to see that despite the search for
villains, such as "people are dying because the television broadcasters
aren't using digital" sort of talk, that they *do* realize that there is
a human element going on.

But that isn't the way we think these days. Even though time and time
again, the "trained operator" comes out of the woodwork to help in these
emergencies, too many years have passed with our societies hatred of the
trained and competent person. Are our emergency management systems going
to put up with the expense of the trained operator?

More likely what we'll do, will be to make up some sort of
infrastructure dependent system that relies on machinery and electronics
to "allow" an untrained person to "access everything". And of course,
the next time the wheels fall off, the same situation that is going on
now will happen.

Just some thoughts....

- Mike KB3EIA -

wrote:
Sure, they can nibble at the ham bands. But there's not much spectrum
to be had from them below 400 MHz. All of 6, 2 and 220 only adds up to
about two TV channels.

What you're really seeing is a push to end NTSC TV transmissions, and
go to DTV exclusively.

At least if we are all using DTV, lives will be saved, eh?

- Mike KB3EIA -

K=D8HB wrote:
Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

"On the ground, the people that get there first can't talk to each
other because the radio communications don't work," Kean told CNN
Sunday. "They haven't got enough what's called spectrum."

.. . . and on and on and on . .

My ongoing understanding has been that there is already gobs of wide
open UHF spectrum space already available via all the unused UHF TV
channels. Even in very large metropolitan areas. Each one of those
channels is 4 Mhz wide or something like that, how many emergency
services NBFM channels can be squeezed into 4 Mhz? A *bunch*! I realize
that some of those TV-free channels are already being used by non-TV
comms here and there but in every locale it seems to me that there's
gotta be at least a few TV channels still wide open and available.
Beats me . .

Lotta nonsense in this article, bunch of clueless politicians going at
it as usual.

Some big burg or another has a major disaster to deal with and say they
have 500-1000 first responders out on the streets with the best of the
best current-tech trunking gear Motorola has to offer and all the base
infrastructure has survived, everybody can talk with everybody.

So what? They wind up with a monumental tower of babble like we have on
20 phone when a new one shows up 14.195 where everybody is stepping on
everybody else and they're worse off than they were before the
politicians got into the act with both feet.

--=20
73, de Hans, K0HB
--

w3rv

"KØHB" wrote in message
ink.net...
Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

their problem is not how much spectrum, but having some channels where they
can all talk to each other. i would say that 2m would be good for them to
confiscate, along with all the repeaters and existing radios that use it.
this should give them a flexible enough chunk of spectrum, complete with an
installed set of repeaters nation wide and a large number of easily
reprogrammed radios that can do not only repeaters but simplex and even
digital communications.

wrote:

KØHB wrote:

Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

"On the ground, the people that get there first can't talk to each
other because the radio communications don't work," Kean told CNN
Sunday. "They haven't got enough what's called spectrum."


. . . and on and on and on . .

My ongoing understanding has been that there is already gobs of wide
open UHF spectrum space already available via all the unused UHF TV
channels. Even in very large metropolitan areas. Each one of those
channels is 4 Mhz wide or something like that, how many emergency
services NBFM channels can be squeezed into 4 Mhz? A *bunch*! I realize
that some of those TV-free channels are already being used by non-TV
comms here and there but in every locale it seems to me that there's
gotta be at least a few TV channels still wide open and available.
Beats me . .

Lotta nonsense in this article, bunch of clueless politicians going at
it as usual.

That is because it is monumentally easier to blame the problem on the
bandwidth used by Television than it is to blame those actually
responsible.


Fact is, if the trained communicators who can use the conditions of the
various VHF/UHF, and HF bands to their advantage are called in at early
notice, the emergency conditions can be handled quite proficiently. No
extra bandwidth needed.

Just trained and competent operators.

- Mike KB3EIA -

Michael Coslo wrote:
wrote:

K=D8HB wrote:

Responders' lack of spectrum 'cost lives'
By Shaun Waterman
UPI Homeland and National Security Editor

Published 9/12/2005 11:40 AM

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Former Sept. 11 commission Chairman Tom
Kean says first responders in Louisiana not having had access to
radio spectrum needed for interoperable communications "cost lives,"
as it did at the World Trade Center.

"On the ground, the people that get there first can't talk to each
other because the radio communications don't work," Kean told CNN
Sunday. "They haven't got enough what's called spectrum."


. . . and on and on and on . .

My ongoing understanding has been that there is already gobs of wide
open UHF spectrum space already available via all the unused UHF TV
channels. Even in very large metropolitan areas. Each one of those
channels is 4 Mhz wide or something like that, how many emergency
services NBFM channels can be squeezed into 4 Mhz? A *bunch*! I realize
that some of those TV-free channels are already being used by non-TV
comms here and there but in every locale it seems to me that there's
gotta be at least a few TV channels still wide open and available.
Beats me . .

Lotta nonsense in this article, bunch of clueless politicians going at
it as usual.

That is because it is monumentally easier to blame the problem on the
bandwidth used by Television than it is to blame those actually
responsible.

No you are roughly half right below


Fact is, if the trained communicators who can use the conditions of the
various VHF/UHF, and HF bands to their advantage are called in at early
notice, the emergency conditions can be handled quite proficiently. No
extra bandwidth needed.

Just trained and competent operators.

the other thing needed is inteligent planing and prediection of what
may be needed , but then I suppose you could say that was part of
having trained and competent operators
=20
- Mike KB3EIA -