Valicenti Testifies on First Responder Interoperability

Aldona Valicenti, NASCIO member and CIO for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, testified last week at a joint hearing of the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations and Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census.

Valicenti's testimony addressed the issue of public safety communications interoperability and the role of state CIOs in achieving this elusive goal. Valicenti stressed the importance of building on existing intergovernmental partnerships to address the interoperability challenge and looking for solutions that focus on collaboration and planning. She identified five barriers that must be overcome to achieve interoperability:

• Aging and incompatible equipment
• limited and fragmented radio spectrum
• poor planning and coordination
• inadequate and stovepiped funding
• and human factors such as agencies' natural reluctance to give up management and control of their communications systems.

"Every day the lives of American citizens and the public servants charged with keeping them safe are jeopardized as a result of problems associated with public-safety wireless communications interoperability. Achieving interoperability requires solving a number of administrative and technical issues," said Valicenti. "The goal, however, remains simple -- providing communications systems and equipment that will allow public safety responders to communicate and share information with other peer responders. Accomplishing this goal will require better planning and coordination at the local, state and federal levels. NASCIO stands ready to help lead the charge for improving the nation's public safety communications infrastructure."

The joint hearing entitled "First Responder Interoperability: Can You Hear Me Now?" examined the challenges of communications interoperability for first responders and looked at the programs and policies of the federal government in responding to those challenges. The hearing focused on the e-government initiative SAFECOM and the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in regulating state and local first responders. In addition to NASCIO, other organizations represented at the hearing included the National Association of Counties, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council, and the Capital Wireless Integrated Network, along with federal representatives from SAFECOM, the FCC, the General Accounting Office and the Office of Management and Budget.

NASCIO represents the state chief information officers from the 50 states, six U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Members include cabinet and senior level officials responsible for information resource management. Other IT officials participate as associate members and private-sector representatives may become corporate members.