NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

New Report Calls for Better Communication between First Responders, Health Facilities

Washington, DC – A recently released government report highlights the need for improved communications between emergency responders and health facilities, a key lawmaker said today. The Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), said the report, issued by the Joint Advisory Committee on Communications Capabilities of Emergency Medical and Public Health Care Facilities, underscores the need for nationwide improvements to the way emergency responders and health facilities communicate with one another.

“This report makes important recommendations to improve the ability of public health and safety officials to communicate during an emergency,” said Dingell. “The proposals in this report should be carefully considered as we work to improve our Nation’s emergency communications system. This work will also be invaluable to the federal agencies overseeing our emergency communications systems.”

The Joint Advisory Committee is a bipartisan taskforce of experts in communications and emergency medical and public health care, including representatives of Federal, State, and local governments, industry and non-profit health organizations, and academia and educational institutions. The Joint Advisory Committee was established pursuant to legislation Congress passed in 2007 to implement the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission. The legislation required the Joint Advisory Committee to report back to the Committee on Energy and Commerce six months after the legislation was enacted. The three federal entities in charge of overseeing the Nation’s emergency communications system are the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Office of Emergency Communications, located within the Department of Homeland Security.

Among its proposals, the Joint Advisory Committee’s report calls for the development of a national, interoperable broadband network for emergency communications, a subject that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has focused on during this Congress.

The Joint Advisory Committee stated in its report, “Too often today, EMS responders, doctors, and nurses must practice 21st century medicine with 20th century technology.” To view the full text of the report, or for more information on the Committee’s activities regarding interoperability, please visit http://energycommerce.house.gov.

February 4, 2008 Report to Congress

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