National Public Safety Leaders

Tom Ridge, Former Homeland Security Secretary
“Nearly five years have elapsed and we don't appear to be any closer to a national broadband solution to the emergency community's critical communications needs…What makes this new idea particularly appealing is the public-private partnership that would make it possible. It would work -- and rid us of an existing disjointed system that is now creating needless danger in disaster situations. It would also give police and firefighters the state-of-the-art emergency
communications network they so rightly deserve. (Washington Times, 6/5/06)

National Public Safety Organizations

Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO)
“An auction would forever place control of the spectrum in the hands of commercial enterprises that do not have public safety as their principal, overriding objective. In contrast, assigning the spectrum to a government- created entity with public/private partnerships would ensure that a broadband network developed for the spectrum, while used in part for commercial purposes, would be built and maintained to public safety specifications, including coverage, reliability, survivability, functionality, and on-demand access.” (APCO Statement, 8/10/06)

National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
“NENA believes that it is imperative for Congress and the FCC to initiate proceedings in an accelerated manner to seek public comment on the Cyren Call Communications proposal…We will lose a tremendous opportunity to improve public safety through improved interoperability if a debate is not initiated to license this spectrum to public safety for a nationwide broadband network before this spectrum is auctioned off and lost forever.” (NENA Statement, 8/21/06)

International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP)
“The IACP supports the allocation of 30 MHz of spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band to be held in trust for public safety to create a nationwide public safety broadband network [and urges our] membership actively engage their respective governmental executive and legislative components…” (IACP Resolution, 10/17/06)

National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO)
“The future ability of EMS providers to successfully treat life-threatening illnesses and injuries will depend on evolving diagnostic, treatment, and resource-coordination technologies linked to emerging communications systems with broadband capability…These new communications systems will require significant additional new bandwidth in the public safety communications spectrum.” (NASEMSO Resolution 10/02/06)

National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA)
“If this auction goes forward as planned, public safety entities will be barred from gaining access to the most suitable spectrum for the kind of next-generation network that is so sorely needed.” (NLPOA Letter, 7/26/06)

National Troopers Coalition (NTC)
“The current inability to readily communicate between individual agency systems has proven to obstruct critical operations and impede responders’ safety in the course of rendering assistance. The NTC would ask the Administration and the Congress to change federal law to allow the use of this spectrum for a nationwide broadband network for public safety.” (NTC Resolution, 10/6/06)

State and Local Law Enforcement

Chief Ignacio Peña, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police
“This is an incredible opportunity to create a national and interoperable communications system that will enable stateof-the-art communications capabilities built to public safety’s vigorous standards. We are proud to join with others in the public safety community to urge lawmakers in Washington to do what’s best for the nation by allocating this spectrum for first responder use.” (Illinois ACP Statement, 8/16/06)

Chief Dan Grant, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police
“Cyren’s proposal provides the chance to put the communications failures of recent emergency response situations in the past by laying the groundwork for the advanced communications that police and other first responders need to do their jobs effectively, It would be irresponsible to not explore such a plan because without this push for innovation, we will be left shaking our heads after the next disaster strikes.” (MACP Statement, 7/18/2006)

North Central Texas Council of Governments
“Public safety is in need of additional radio spectrum to more effectively communicate during routine and serious events. Opening a Notice of Inquiry by the FCC would allow public review and comment of the Cyren Call proposal before the spectrum is auctioned.” (NCTCOG Resolution, 6/22/06)

State and Local Fire Fighters

Western Fire Chiefs Association
“The WFCA supports the concept of seeking an additional allocation of 30 MHz of 700MHz spectrum allocation to public safety…The WFCA further supports establishing management of this spectrum allocation in a manner thatcreates a nationwide next generation broadband network for public safety.” (WFCA Resolution, 10/19/06)

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC)
"We are confident the public safety community will benefit and be in a much stronger position to protect our citizenryand all first responders if you start the discussion of these critically important topics by opening a public rulemakingproceeding on the Cyren Call proposal.” (NYAFC Letter, 9/6/06)

Chief Robert Steger, Maryland Fire Chiefs Association
”…We believe that the time clearly has come to officially review the issue and invite public comment on the proposal. Based on the ongoing tenuous state of our nation’s public safety communications systems, a discussion of this nature is long overdue.” (MFCA Letter, 8/27/06)

Chief William C. Howlett, President, Virginia Fire Chiefs Association
“We are confident the public safety community will benefit and be in a much stronger position to protect our citizenryand all first responders if [the FCC starts] the discussion of these critically important topics by opening a public rulemaking proceeding on the Cyren Call proposal…Based on the ongoing tenuous state of our nation’s public safetycommunications systems, a discussion of this nature is long overdue.” (VFCA Letter, 8/29/06)

Capitol Region Fire Chiefs Association (CRFCA) of Connecticut
“How many more disasters, terrorist attacks or innocent deaths are needed to focus our national priorities? We simply
do not understand how or why the Commission could allow this proposal to lie dormant for the past four months.”
(CRFCA Letter 8/28/06)

James Reed, President, Southeastern Michigan Association of Fire Chiefs
“We are very excited about the possibility of the proposed long-term, privately funded interoperable network that supports future technologies for public safety and believe the public safety community will benefit from a discussion onthis subject.” (SMAFC Letter, 7/14/06)

Chief Charles Werner, Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department
“For the sake of public safety, the [Cyren Call] proposal deserves a fair hearing, and public-safety stakeholders should have a seat at the table. A future without broadband in public-safety communications is bleak.” (Mobile RadioTechnology,5/1/06)

Glen Savage, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
“The Cyren Call vision is about the only thing that I've seen that would build out a data network capable of producing what you'd need in the public-safety realm. It's a great concept…as far as making something that's evergreen, thatreally sounds like a great idea.” (Mobile Radio Technology, 8/1/06)