Call to Action Alert: Federal D Block Bill

From Kansas APCO Legislative Chair Michele Abbott -

WHAT APCO NEEDS YOU TO DO AND WHY?

APCO International needs its members and all of public safety in the key states (see list below) to make phone calls to their senators today and tomorrow requesting them to urgently to support S. 911.

On Wednesday these Senators will be voting on our bill that provides the spectrum, (D Block) we need along with the funding to build out a broadband network. This is the first of several votes, but it is the key vote to get the bill out of the committee.

APCO International and the PUBLIC SAFETY ALLIANCE urge you to take action today to CALL, EMAIL, and WRITE your U.S. Senator who is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, to strongly urge them to support passage of S.911: The SPECTRUM Act of 2011 during its scheduled mark-up before the full committee this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 10am. Your actions are important to ensure that this critical bill is favorably voted out of committee this week, so that it can get to the floor and be favorably considered before the entire U.S. Senate departs for the August recess in a few weeks.

When you call, email or fax your Senator, please make sure you mention your Name, Title, Agency, City and State and tell them the following:
“Public safety in our state needs your support for passage of S.911, the SPECTRUM Act of 2011, during its scheduled mark-up before the full Committee of the Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday, June 8, at 10 am EDT. Public safety needs to be allocated the spectrum and funding proposed under the Chairman’s draft bill.”

• Senator Daniel K. Inouye – Hawaii (202) 224- 3934 / Fax (202) 224-6747 / Email anthony_ching@inouye.senate.gov

• Senator Maria Cantwell – Washington (202) 224-3441 / Fax (202) 228-0514 / Email michael_daum@cantwell.senate.gov

• Senator Mark Pryor – Arkansas (202) 224-2353 / Fax (202) 228-0908 / Email sarah_holland@pryor.senate.gov

• Senator Claire McCaskill – Missouri (202) 224-6154 / Fax (202) 228-6326 / Email david_toomey@mccaskill.senate.gov

• Senator Tom Udall - New Mexico (202) 224-6621 / Fax (202) 228-3261 / Email kevin_cummins@tomudall.senate.gov

• Senator Mark Warner – Virginia (202) 224-2023 / Fax (202) 224-6295 / Email neeta_bidwai@warner.senate.gov

• Senator Mark Begich – Alaska (202) 224-3004 / Fax (202) 224-2354 / Email meagan_foster@begich.senate.gov and john_richards@begich.senate.gov

• Senator Olympia Snowe – Maine (202) 224-5344 / Fax (202) 224-1946/ Email matthew_hussey@snowe.senate.gov

• Senator Jim DeMint - South Carolina (202) 224-6121 / Fax (202) 228-5143 / Email jeff_murray@demint.senate.gov and kim_wallner@demint.senate.gov

• Senator John Thune - South Dakota (202) 224-2321 / Fax (202) 228-5429 / Email jessica_yearous@thune.senate.gov and david_schwietert@thune.senate.gov

• Senator Roger Wicker – Mississippi (202) 224-6253 / Fax (202) 228-0378/ Email bob_foster@wicker.senate.gov

• Senator Johnny Isakson – Georgia (202) 224-3643 / Fax (202) 228-0724 / Email joan_kirchner@isakson.senate.gov

• Senator Roy Blunt – Missouri (202) 224-5721 /Fax (202) 224-8149 / Email jack_smedile@blunt.senate.gov

• Senator John Boozman – Arkansas (202) 224- 4843 / Fax (202) 228-1371 / Email kathee_facchiano@boozman.senate.gov and jordan_forbes@boozman.senate.gov

• Senator Patrick J. Toomey- Pennsylvania (202) 224-4254 / Fax (202) 228-0284 / Email james_wallner@toomey.senate.gov and tessie_abraham@toomey.senate.gov

• Senator Marco Rubio – Florida (202) 224-3041 / Fax (202) 228-0285 / Email darren_achord@rubio.senate.gov

• Senator Kelly Ayotte - New Hampshire (202) 224-3324 / Fax (202) 224-4952 / Email adam_hechavarria@ayotte.senate.gov and rob_seidman@ayotte.senate.gov

• Senator Dean Heller – Nevada (202) 224-6244 / Fax (202) 228-2193 / Email leeann_gibson@heller.senate.gov

Why do you need to act?  Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller, IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), recently proposed bipartisan draft legislation, S.911: the SPECTRUM Act of 2011. This bipartisan legislation would mandate that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocate the 10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 band, known as the D Block, to public safety, along with significant federal funding derived from other spectrum auction proceeds, for the creation of a nationwide, interoperable public safety mission-critical broadband network. This is Chairman Rockefeller and the committee’s top legislative priority, is supported by the Obama Administration, and a large bipartisan group of other House and Senate leaders. The entire public safety and state and local government community also strongly supports this legislation as a top priority. APCO believes the new mobile broadband network will improve our nation’s public safety and homeland security, and it will provide our first responders with new interoperable communications technologies that are long overdue and urgently needed. Additionally, the network will enable our local, tribal, state and federal public safety agencies to provide more cost effective services to the communities served, while producing millions of dollars in long-term cost savings through more efficient delivery of next generation technologies.

Who else supports this effort?  APCO International is joined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCC), the Major County Sheriffs’ Association (MCSA), the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) as part of the Public Safety Alliance in advocating for this legislation. For a full list of supporters, go to http://www.psafirst.org/.