The major national EMS organizations emerged in support of the “Broadband for First Responders Act,” introduced in the House of Representatives in April, which would prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from selling 10 megahertz of radio spectrum to commercial interests and would instead dedicate that spectrum solely for public safety use.
The bill would reserve for responders the 758–763 megahertz and 788–793 megahertz spectrum, known as the D Block, which the FCC now plans to auction to commercial interests following the agency’s failed attempt to find a buyer to operate that spectrum for the benefit of public safety services. The EMS organizations, like many of the public safety groups, are on record in support of the dedicated spectrum. “We believe that EMS may well become one of the biggest users of the public safety broadband to bring lifesaving capacities to our patients,” reads the letter from the EMS agencies to the committee members in the House and Senate who would have authority over the bill.
The pending legislation would also require the FCC’s envisioned national wireless broadband network, which would provide special public safety access in lieu of the D Block allocation, to be fully interoperable and able to survive a disaster, among additional provisions (see April and June 2010 Best Practices). With the failure of the D Block auction and the development of a national wireless broadband plan, the FCC’s national broadband team recommended ensuring the public safety sector access to the entire band through roaming and priority access arrangements and significant public funding—recommending up to $16 billion from Congress for a grant program to support construction and operation.
The organizations signing the letter to congressional leaders include Advocates for Emergency Medical Services, the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, the National Association of State Emergency Medical Service Officials and the National EMS Management Association. The letter is at
npstc.org/documents/DBlockSenateJointLetter100616.pdf.
Legislation Supports Grants for E911 Services
The Next Generation 911 Preservation Act, introduced in both houses of Congress, would enhance the nation’s public safety- and citizen-activated emergency response capabilities, promoting the transition to a national Internet Protocol (IP)-based, state-of-the-art emergency response system. Supporters believe that federal policy and support should reflect the availability of the most advanced technology available and ensure its use in emergency communications.
Provisions of the bill include matching grants to eligible entities, with a federal share of up to 80 percent, when they migrate to an IP-enabled emergency network and adopt Next Generation 911 services and applications. Next Generation 911 services enable the processing of all types of emergency calls, including the transmission of voice, data and multimedia information—even video—through broadband service to public safety answering points and other first responders. The funds could also be used to train call-takers and other responders in the new 911 techniques and technology.
The House bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, which held hearings in June 2010. The Senate bill was sent to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in March 2010.
Tax Break Proposed for Volunteer Responders
With strong support from the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Volunteer Firefighter Fairness Act was introduced in the House of Representatives in June. The bill is designed to clarify with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel are not employees of the fire departments where they serve and should not be treated as such by the IRS.
The bill would reverse the recent decision by the IRS to require that departments report nominal payments or benefits, even for the cost of a uniform, as income on a W-2 form. Under this legislation, departments would return to the practice of issuing an IRS Form 1099 to cover volunteer responders who receive nominal compensation in the form of reimbursement, reasonable benefits, and “nominal” fees for their services as defined and permitted under both the IRS Code and the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to Representative David Wu (D-Ore.). Wu introduced the bill in an effort to help departments retain and recruit volunteers.
How a Bill Becomes Law
The Emergency Medical Services for Children’s (EMSC) National Resource Center has published a document to guide responders, especially those interested in persuading legislators of the importance of their issues, through the legislative process. While “Public Policy Primer: A Guide on the Legislative Process and Impacting Change at the Federal, State, and Local Levels” emphasizes governmental law-making activity at the federal level, it also discusses how much of the same information can be used when attempting to influence state and local government representatives. The purpose of the guide is to help individuals and organizations with a stake in pediatric emergency care to navigate the world of public policy making and effect change by promoting EMSC issues and priorities. Once the fundamentals are understood, the guide can be used to advocate any issue of importance to responders, making them informed, active and effective citizens.
The document is not copyrighted, and readers are encouraged to duplicate and use the information it contains while crediting EMSC. The guide is at
childrensnational.org/files/PDF/EMSC/PubRes/Public_Policy_Guide.pdf.
