WASHINGTON, DC - Thursday, at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and David Billstrom, a volunteer firefighter and EMT from San Juan County, examined how to improve communications for first responders, with a focus on communications among American and Canadian public safety organizations in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Billstrom is also the chairman and CEO of National Interop, a Pacific Northwest communications company using radio over internet protocol (ROIP) technology to create an interoperable emergency communication system on the Olympic Peninsula as part of a Department of Homeland Security-sponsored pilot project.

"The 2010 Olympics will bring thousands of tourists to the Northwest and we must make sure all local, state, and federal agencies in both the U.S. and Canada can communicate seamlessly," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee. "We need to take advantage of the newest technology to make sure America's first responders can communicate with one another effectively. This is not only key during major events like the Olympics, but critical for saving lives during disasters."

At the hearing, Cantwell and other members of the committee also examined the merits of creating a backup national communications system for first responders, and a proposal to make additional radio frequencies for first responders available nationwide. Next week, the Commerce Committee will consider legislation to improve the emergency communications capabilities of America's first responders.

Last October, Congress passed Cantwell-sponsored legislation as part of the 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act requiring the Department of Homeland Security to work with the State Department, the Federal Communications Commission, and the state governments of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska to develop a plan for interoperable communications. DHS must complete the plan this year and submit it to Congress, leaving enough time for federal, state, and local governments to apply for the federal funding needed to implement the plan in time for the 2010 Olympics. Cantwell introduced the measure at the suggestion of the Washington State Military Department.

The Olympic Public Safety Communications Alliance Network Project, which National Interop is working to implement, is a federal and state funded effort to develop a collaborative plan to improve connectivity, coverage, and interoperability among first responder and other emergency agencies on the Olympic Peninsula. Communications is a significant challenge in the Olympic Peninsula due to geographical obstacles such as the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Clallam County will serve as lead agency for the project, deploying a high-tech communications network across Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Thurston and Grays Harbor counties.

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