In a message dated 10/3/2005 11:46:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, n3kn@comcast.net writes:

Thanks for the link. Did it come out at the hearing that one of the other testifiers, David G. Boyd, Director of SAFECOM Program Office, Science and Technology Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, may be K9MX, an ARRL Life Member? 73 - Kay N3KN

Kay, I can answer that, because I was there. That David was K9MX (and a former participant with us on the NPSTC governing board when he was at Justice) didn't come out in the hearing. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing, because David was given a very hard time by the Telecom Sub members, who were NOT happy with DHS or Justice in their development of interoperability for public safety in the four years since the 9/11 debacle. It went this way: The first panel was made up of Kevin Martin, (who was treated very well, considering that FCC's entire contribution to Katrina/Rita relief was cosmetic, consisting mostly of postponements of regulatory obligations of licensees and a few STAs for broadcast stations to go dark), Boyd on behalf of DHS, who got grilled for the lack of an interoperability standard for public safety; and a Justice guy who wasn't asked much. That was the "show panel". That panel got all the questions. The final five people were on a second panel. This included Harold, but by then, most of the Congresspeople had left for a 3:30 vote, and so there wasn't much time for anytiing except the five minutes each panelist had for oral remarks. Written questions would be submitted later. We have the opportunity to plant a few with either Walden or Bilirakis, but they won't let us get into BPL, for example (even though Harold waved the flag very well for HF use in Katrina relief). Boyd is VERY knowledgeable and impressive in his remarks, but every time he tried to explain that there is resistance to interoperability plans by local government officers and that hinders interop, he got hushed. The real desire of the Telecom Sub was to vent about the TV broadcasters still being on 700 MHz and the lack of a Federal interop standard that includes locals, State and Feds. They hopefully will get the message that until that hurdle is overcome (and it won't be, because interop is only as good as op, and that is what Harold told them) we are the only interop game in town. Boyd is a good guy, and did a good job, but he was a sacrificial lamb, and told them what they didn't want to hear: that interop involves people and training, and planning, as well as technology, and the technology issue is largely solved. The people, technology and training issues are not. 73, Chris W3KD