[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 615, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 
                      INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 23, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Concur 
in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 615, the Homeland Security 
Interoperable Communications Act for three reasons.
  The bill would address interoperability among information technology 
systems and radio communications systems to exchange voice, data, and 
video in real time.
  First, the bill will save lives of first responders and those they 
seek to help; Second, the legislation is necessary to create a seamless 
level of communication among Department of Homeland Security components 
that are first responders to a terrorist attack, natural or manmade 
disaster; and finally to meet the technological challenges of bridging 
the communication divide between different communications systems used 
by first responders within the Department of Homeland Security.
  As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I am 
well aware, as are many of my colleagues, of the essential and 
lifesaving role of communications during a crisis.
  Because the tragedy of September 11, 2001, was compounded by 
communication failures among the brave first responders who entered the 
burning towers that comprised the World Trade Center it has been an 
imperative of the Homeland Security Committee to address first 
responder communication interoperability challenges.
  The number of first responders lost on that single day was the 
greatest loss of first responders at any single event in U.S. History:
  343 New York City Fire Department firefighters; 23 New York City 
Police Department officers; 37 Port Authority Police Department 
officers; 15 EMTs and 3 court officers were casualties of the attacks.
  The need for this bill authored by Congressman Payne is evident.
  The City of Houston covers over a 1000 square mile region in 
Southeast Texas. It has a night-time population of nearly two million 
people, which peaks with over three million daytime inhabitants.
  The City of Houston's 9-1-1 Emergency Center manages nearly 9,000 
emergency calls per day. The volume of emergency calls can easily 
double during times of inclement weather or special City social/
sporting events like Hurricanes Ike in September 2008; and Katrina as 
well as Rita, which occurred in September and October of 2005).
  Annually, one out of every ten citizens uses EMS.
  There are over 200,000 EMS incidents involving over 225,000 patients 
or potential patients annually. On the average, EMS responds to a 
citizen every 3 minutes. Each EMS response is made by one of 88 City of 
Houston EMS vehicles.
  In 2013, the City of Houston's fire Department lost Captain EMT 
Matthew Renaud, Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee, Firefighter EMT 
Robert Garner and Probationary Firefighter Anne Sullivan when they 
responded to a hotel fire.
  Throughout the history of the Houston Police Department over 110 
officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.
  Each member of the House of Representatives knows of the loss of a 
first responder who was going to the aid of those in harm's way. This 
bill will offer additional resources to the first responders of the 
Department of Homeland Security.
  The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include among 
the responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Management 
responsibilities with respect to policies and directives to achieve and 
maintain interoperable communications among the components of the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
  The Under Secretary of Homeland Security would submit to the House 
and Senate Homeland Security Committees a strategy, which shall be 
updated as necessary, for achieving and maintaining interoperable 
communications, including for daily operations, planned events, and 
emergencies, with corresponding milestones, that includes:
  An assessment of interoperability gaps in radio communications DHS 
components, as of this Act's enactment date;
  Information on DHS efforts and activities, including current and 
planned policies, directives, and training, since November 1, 2012, to 
achieve and maintain interoperable communications, and planned efforts 
and activities to achieve and maintain interoperable communications;
  An assessment of obstacles and challenges to achieving and 
maintaining interoperable communications;
  Information on, and an assessment of, the adequacy of mechanisms 
available to the Under Secretary to enforce and compel compliance with 
interoperable communications policies and directives of DHS;
  Guidance provided to DHS components to implement interoperable 
communications policies and directives;
  The total amount of funds expended by DHS since November 1, 2012, and 
projected future expenditures, to achieve interoperable communications; 
and
  Dates upon which DHS-wide interoperability is projected to be 
achieved for voice, data, and video communications, respectively, and 
interim milestones.
  The bill ensures that the Department of Homeland Security would 
conduct a survey of intra-agency efforts or task forces that have been 
delegated responsibilities for achieving and maintaining interoperable 
communications, and report on the status of these efforts, including:
  Progress on each interim milestone; information on any policies, 
directives, guidance, and training established by the Under Secretary 
of Homeland Security; an assessment of the level of compliance, 
adoption, and participation among the DHS components with the policies, 
directives, guidance, and training established by the Under Secretary; 
and information on any additional resources or authorities needed by 
the Under Secretary.
  This bill will ensure that the Department of Homeland Security's 
first responders are prepared to meet the challenges of manmade or 
natural disasters.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of H.R. 615.

                          ____________________