Tom Ridge at IDCE: Congress should pass legislation to create broadband public safety network
01/18/2012
First Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge echoed the need for public and private to partner in disaster management in his January 17 opening session address to the International Disaster Conference & Exposition in New Orleans.
“Nine-eleven taught us that we can’t do it alone,” he said of government initiatives.
“It taught us we had to do things differently and certainly better.”
According to Ridge significant improvements have been made in emergency management since nine-eleven, including communications programs such as a national platform for incident management now in use in all 50 states.
“We are far better prepared at the state and local level than ever before,” Ridge told his audience. “Ever since nine-eleven, the emergency community has been on top of their game. But the business of preparedness is day to day, constantly looking for vulnerabilities and gaps, and how to improve your ability to prepare and respond.”
In particular, Ridge called for the U.S. Congress to pass federal legislation to create a broadband public safety network.
“After 10 years of debate, it’s time to implement it. This is critical infrastructure.”
