Resolution 2007-1, Urges Congress To Authorize Creation of a Public/Private Partnership to develop a new nationwide public safety Broadband Network and to Allocate and Additional 30 MHZ of Radio Spectrum in the Upper 700 MHZ Band For Such a Public Safety Broadband Network.

WHEREAS, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, who's members are the primary providers for Floridians, supports collaborative and innovative approaches to enhancing homeland security and advancing law enforcement, citizen and community safety, and;

WHEREAS, one of the technologies holding the most promise to the public safety community is advanced broadband communications, which will enable public safety agencies to provide detailed information to field personnel, such as documents, photographs, text messaging and video, not currently feasible in public safety spectrum, and;

WHEREAS, the needs of the public safety community for radio spectrum for current and future operational requirements has not been satisfied and current spectrum allocations do not sufficiently meet the growing demands of public safety organizations for advanced broadband communications technologies and services and are not properly structured to support interoperability, and;

WHEREAS, the scheduled availability of recovered analog spectrum in the upper 700 MHz band affords the country a unique opportunity to secure sufficient contiguous spectrum to support a new, truly national broadband network that would be built, maintained and operated for the primary benefit of public safety and the citizens whose lives and property they are tasked to protect, and;

WHEREAS, a proposal has been filed with the Federal Communications Commission that would provide for a Public Safety Broadband Trust of radio spectrum for a nationwide, seamless, next generation broadband network not currently available in existing public safety land mobile systems using 30 MHz of spectrum at present scheduled to be auctioned by the FCC, and;

WHEREAS, the Florida Police Chiefs Association urges the United States Congress to recognize the unmet needs of the Nation's public safety agencies for increased radio spectrum to meet critical communications needs, and the benefits of advanced broadband communications technologies in protecting life and property and of full interoperability both between and among public safety departments and organizations and also between and among public safety organizations and nonpublic safety entities, including commercial services providing critical infrastructure support, and to take such action as may be necessary to preserve the opportunity for the Federal Communications Commission to allocate such spectrum for implementation of a nationwide broadband public safety telecommunications service, and;

WHEREAS, our country will lose a tremendous opportunity to improve public safety communications, through enhanced interoperability and perhaps its last meaningful chance of creating a fully interoperable, advanced nationwide public safety communications system, capable of linking each and every local, tribal, state and federal emergency responder, and necessary to securing and defending the homeland, if a debate is not initiated to license this spectrum to public safety for a nationwide broadband network before the spectrum is auctioned off and lost forever.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Florida Police Chiefs Association's membership actively engage their respective governmental executive and legislative components, and coordinate their efforts to achieve the goal of developing a nationwide broadband public safety communications network for all of the law enforcement and public safety community.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 13th day of February, 2007 by the Board of Directors of the Florida Police Chiefs Association.