[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 130 (Friday, September 25, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACT OF 1998

 Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I am here today to talk about some 
good news for a change. I want to talk about the Wireless 
Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998 that Senator McCain is 
introducing, and I am cosponsoring. The purpose of this legislation is 
to link some of the amazing innovations in wireless technology to 9-1-1 
and emergency response professionals.
  All kinds of technologies exist today that can greatly reduce 
response time to emergencies and help victims get the right kind of 
medical attention quickly. But right now these technologies are not 
connected in ways that we can use them for emergencies. That's why this 
effort to upgrade our 9-1-1 systems across the nation is to so 
important and necessary.
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has conducted 
studies showing that crash-to-care time for fatal accidents is about a 
half hour in urban areas. In rural areas, which covers most of my home 
state of Montana, that crash-to-care time almost doubles. On average, 
it takes just shy of an hour to get emergency attention to crash 
victims in rural areas. Almost half of the serious crash victims who do 
not receive care in that first hour die at the scene of the accident. 
That's a scary statistic. But it doesn't have to continue that way.
  Drew Dawson, who is the Director of the Montana Emergency Medical 
Services Bureau and president of the National Association of State 
Emergency Medical Services Directors, strongly supports this 
legislation. He tells me that the bill will help bring better wireless 
9-1-1 coverage to Montana and will enhance our statewide Trauma Care 
System. Mr. Dawson believes this legislation will help him and his 
emergency folks do their job better, which means it will help them save 
more lives than they already do.
  Montana unfortunately has a high motor vehicle crash death rate. Part 
of this bill promotes research on something called Automatic Crash 
Notification technology or ACN as Mr. Dawson and the trauma and 
emergency professionals call it. ACN technology takes the sensors in 
cars, such as airbag sensors and speed sensors, and links them to a 
wireless phone and a location device. When an ACN-equipped car in a 
remote area of Montana crashes, the car automatically dials 9-1-1. Not 
only does the car dial 9-1-1 but it transmits data telling the 
emergency operator where exactly the crash victim is and the likelihood 
of the victim's injuries. This ACN system also opens up a voice channel 
enabling the emergency operator to speak to the crash victim.
  ACN technology comes into effect only seconds after the crash. It can 
be rigged so that the emergency operator gets the crash information as 
well as the nearest trauma center. ACN would eliminate many drawn out 
search and rescues that usually have to take place.
  In these crash situations, time is of the essence. The emergency 
medical professionals refer to the first hour after a crash as the 
``Golden Hour.'' They say if they can get to victims in that first 
hour, then they have a good chance of limiting the severity of the 
injuries. Once the clock ticks over an hour, the chances of medical 
miracles lessen more and more. Reducing response time means the 
difference between life and death.
  I have to say a word about all of the good work that folks like Drew 
Dawson in Montana and other emergency professionals do all over the 
country. The United States has the most skilled and dedicated group of 
medical and emergency professionals in the world. We just need to give 
them better tools. There is technology out there that can help these 
professionals and that can help all of us citizens, if, God forbid, we 
ever find ourselves in an emergency situation needing this kind of 
help. The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998 will 
help all of us and will make our emergency services even better than 
they are today.
  Mr. President, I hope all of my colleagues will join me and help pass 
this important legislation.

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