Nearly 10 years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there are still gaps in the ability of emergency departments and personnel to communicate with each other effectively, says U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and she wants to see that problem addressed.

First responders across county lines or in different regions are operating on different radio frequencies, and are unable to share information in real time, the senator says.

In the North Country alone, she says there are 198 fire departments and 47 police departments.

Gillibrand is calling on the House and Senate to pass legislation that would provide first responders and public safety officials with the ability to effectively communicate in the event a major response is needed, and she says it would be appropriate to get that done before the 10th anniversary of the attacks in New York and Washington.

Gillibrand points out that the 9/11 Commission report identified insufficient interoperability among communications systems used by first responders during the attacks and rescue efforts.

She is supporting the Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, legislation that would create a framework for the deployment of a nationwide, interoperable, wireless broadband network for public safety.

“Nearly 10 years after the horror of 9/11, it’s time to bring our first responder technology into the 21st century, and free New York’s emergency personnel from federal bureaucracy to get the job done.”

The legislation would set aside additional airwaves for first responders to build a nationwide wireless broadband network. This network would allow all first responders to communicate seamlessly, from county to county, and from coast to coast, during a time of crisis – ideally, providing channels for firefighters to be able to download detailed floor plans before rushing into burning buildings, and for EMTs to be able to send pictures from an accident scene to doctors in the emergency room. This kind of situational awareness would protect first responders and save lives, the senator said.

According to the senator’s staff, the bill specifically would:

· Allocate a swath of spectrum, called the “D-Block,” to first responders for the purpose of creating a public safety communications network

· Give the FCC the authority to hold incentive auctions based on the voluntary return of spectrum. The funds raised by these incentive auctions will be billions beyond what is needed to pay for building the public safety network. Excess funds—to the tune of $10 billion—will be used to pay down the national deficit.

President Obama identified this initiative as a priority in this year’s State of the Union address, calling for the development and deployment of a nationwide wireless broadband network that would afford public safety agencies with far greater levels of effectiveness and interoperability.