On December 5, 2006, the First Response Coalition assembled a number of public safety communications experts to discuss how legislation, regulation, and technology may intersect in 2007 to improve public safety communications capabilities. Roundtable participants included:

• Robert Crouch, Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness (VA)
• Tony Frater, Deputy Director, Department of Homeland Security's Office for Interoperability and Compatibility
• David Furth, Associate Bureau Chief, FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau
• Jenny Hansen, U.S. Dept. of Transportation Next-Generation E911 Coordinator
• Christine Kurth, Deputy Staff Director, Senate Commerce Committee
• Robert Strayer, Counsel, Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
• Tom Tolman, Program Manager/Principal Investigator of Public Safety Communications, National Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology Center

Read the media coverage.

Read the event transcript (PDF).

Read the press release (PDF).

All of the experts agreed that (1) COLLABORATION among federal, state, and local agencies, (2) identifying FUNDING sources for local and state governments, and (3) securing enough SPECTRUM were critical to improving first responder communications.