WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two wireless emergency services groups find themselves with significant management issues today.
A White House wireless public safety organization may meet its demise in July as an apparent battle over funding ties up half of the program's money, while another wireless emergency service organization's executive director has resigned.
John Ramsay, executive director at the APCO (Association of Public-Safety
Communication Officials (APCO), has resigned. His resignation follows the
departure of APCO president Thera Bradshaw in March.
The White House organization--The Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN), a program set up in 1996 to help coordinate and improve public safety wireless communications, apparently lost $7.5 million of its $10.7 million budget to some mysterious editing of the Fiscal Year 2004 government budget. That budget, drawn up in February and passed recently, specifically excluded the PSWN program, say sources. For some reason, the Department of Justice funding mechanism drawn up in the appropriations bill specifically excluded the PSWN program. Justice was told to find funding for it elsewhere, which would prove problematic for continuing PSWN programs uninterrupted, those close to the program say.
The budget is typically split between Justice and the U.S. Treasury. The money provides funds for studies on public safety communications, legal work and public information facilities like the organization's two web sites.
What does this mean for us? Well we could see a major delay in Wireless 9-1-1 phase 1 and 2 in this state and the rest of the country.
A White House wireless public safety organization may meet its demise in July as an apparent battle over funding ties up half of the program's money, while another wireless emergency service organization's executive director has resigned.
John Ramsay, executive director at the APCO (Association of Public-Safety
Communication Officials (APCO), has resigned. His resignation follows the
departure of APCO president Thera Bradshaw in March.
The White House organization--The Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN), a program set up in 1996 to help coordinate and improve public safety wireless communications, apparently lost $7.5 million of its $10.7 million budget to some mysterious editing of the Fiscal Year 2004 government budget. That budget, drawn up in February and passed recently, specifically excluded the PSWN program, say sources. For some reason, the Department of Justice funding mechanism drawn up in the appropriations bill specifically excluded the PSWN program. Justice was told to find funding for it elsewhere, which would prove problematic for continuing PSWN programs uninterrupted, those close to the program say.
The budget is typically split between Justice and the U.S. Treasury. The money provides funds for studies on public safety communications, legal work and public information facilities like the organization's two web sites.
What does this mean for us? Well we could see a major delay in Wireless 9-1-1 phase 1 and 2 in this state and the rest of the country.
