September 21, 2005   SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN INTRODUCE BILL TO HELP IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS The Bill Would Provide Grant Dollars for Sustainable, Interoperable Communication Equipment   WASHINGTON, DC-- Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins and Ranking Member Joseph Lieberman, have introduced legislation to help ensure that our nations first responders have the most-up-to-date communications systems possible with the ability to communicate with one another during emergencies. The bill would provide $400 million in grant dollars to states and communities to assist in the sustainability and compatibility of communications systems. The bill is expected to be considered by the Committee at a business meeting on Thursday. “One of the many lessons we can take from the Hurricane Katrina disaster is that many communities throughout the nation still do not have the communications infrastructure in place for first responders to communicate with one another during an emergency. We have heard from community leaders throughout the nation that this is a major concern, which should be immediately addressed. Our legislation builds on work that we have done in the past on this matter. It will help ensure that our first responders have effective and interoperable communications systems, which are critical during any emergency,” said Senators Collins and Lieberman. The Senators, who coauthored the intelligence reform legislation last year, pointed out that the 9/11 Commission report cited the inability of emergency responders to communicate with one another as a serious problem. Four years later, and following the worst natural disaster in our nation’s history, communications among emergency responders still have proven to be a problem. The “Assure Emergency and Interoperable Communications for First Responders Act of 2005,” or EICOM Act, would provide $400 million in grants to state and local communities. The grant dollars would provide dedicated funding, strengthen federal leadership, fortify outreach and technical assistance to state and local first responders, promote greater regional cooperation, and ensure research and development on interoperability issues so that police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical workers can talk to one another across jurisdictional, departmental, and geographic boundaries. It also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a comprehensive, competitive research and development program, and it calls for two pilot projects to help develop and test communications systems for first responders.   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 September 2005 Press Releases   September 30 - GAO Releases Report On NASA’s Misuse Of Passenger Aircraft, Waste Of Millions Of Taxpayer Dollars   September 29 - Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Requests Extensive Government Documents For Hurricane Katrina Investigation   September 28 - Senators Collins and Lieberman Hold Katrina Hearing To Discuss Immediate Needs Of Victims And Communities   September 23 - Senators Collins and Frist Correspondence on Hurricane Investigation   September 22 - Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Approves Bills To Help Victims Of Hurricane Katrina   September 21 current Press Release   September 21 - Senators Collins And Lieberman Hold Hearing On Transit Security To Examine Lessons Learned From The London Attacks   September 19 - GAO Releases Report To Senators Collins And Lieberman On U.S. Govt Efforts To Curtail Islamic Extremism   September 16 - Senators Susan Collins And Joseph Lieberman Call On DHS To Issue Unclassified Version Of Natl Transportation Security Strategy   September 15 - Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman Unveil Bill To Assign An IG To Oversee Katrina-Related Expenditures   September 14 - Senators Collins, Lieberman Hold First Congressional Hurricane Katrina Hearing   September 12 - Senator Collins Releases Statement on Resignation of FEMA Director Michael Brown   September 9 - Senator Collins Releases Statement On Sec Chertoff’s Assignment Of Vice Adm Thad Allen To Katrina Efforts   September 7 - Senator Collins Comments On Announcement Of Bipartisan, Bicameral Hurricane Response Committee   September 2 - Senators Collins and Lieberman Launch Oversight Investigation Of Hurricane Relief Efforts, Emergency Preparedness To Learn Lessons For Future Disasters   September 2 - DHS Proposes New Rules On Documents Needed For Travel To U.S. From Canada, Mexico Proposal   September 1 - Senate Approves $10 Billion Relief Aid for Gulf Coast Hurricane Victims
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510