Wireless emergency network? Not yet

The clock is ticking away — rapidly — on Congress’s goal to deliver a nationwide, wireless communication network for police officers and firefighters by the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Tough, long-standing political and policy fights may ultimately cause lawmakers to push back their time frame by months, even as congressional efforts to fund and authorize a communications system pick up pace.Tough, long-standing political and policy fights may ultimately cause lawmakers to push back their time frame by months, even as congressional efforts to fund and authorize a communications system pick up pace. For now, disagreements are simmering between the House and the Senate over how to construct the network, and the issue may boil down to its price tag. And a string of upcoming congressional recesses and holidays could make it even less likely that legislation will move this year. It’s a political reality that’s likely to frustrate supporters, who hope Congress can quickly authorize the build-out of a network that would allow first responders to wirelessly share building schematics and other data even in the hardest-to-reach rural areas. First responders will mobilize en masse in Washington on May 17 to celebrate National Police Week. Many first responders from major metropolitan areas plan to canvass the White House and leading lawmakers in both chambers in support of building out a public-safety network — and they’re not giving up hope that Congress can deliver by Sept. 11, 2011.