Giving First Responders the Tools They Need

Our first responders need the resources and the best tools available to meet the challenges we face. I have worked in the Senate to improve our emergency communication systems and enhance our ability to respond effectively during a crisis.

In July 2008 legislation I introduced to improve the emergency 9-1-1 system was signed into law. It allows emergency responders to locate and help callers to 9-1-1, whether the call is placed from a hardline, a cell phone, or an Internet-based phone. My Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 9-1-1 (ENHANCE Act) was signed into law in 2004, which encouraged increased coordination of federal, state and local emergency communications systems, as well as emergency personnel and public safety organizations, through the creation of a new federal coordinating office.  I also introduced legislation in 2006 to ensure that our first responders have an interoperable emergency communications system coordinated under federal leadership, a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission.

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