On this 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, The Communicators speaks with emergency responders about emergency communications. The issue was brought to the forefront after 9/11 and again after Hurricane Katrina, two emergencies that taxed responders' communications systems. Harlin McEwen, Communications and Technology Committee Chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and John Brown, director of the Virginia Office of Emergency Management, join the program.
The guests discuss changes made since 9/11 in communications technologies and what is still needed. McEwen and Brown, experienced first responders, discuss proposals for a national communications system that allocates additional radio spectrum – the “D block” – to public safety, which they say the added spectrum would help diverse agencies, such as fire departments and police from varying districts, communicate with one another during emergencies.
The Communicators airs Saturday at 6:30 pm ET on C‑SPAN and Monday at 8 am and 8 pm ET on C‑SPAN 2.