FirstNet “long overdue” says former FEMA boss

A former head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has come out in support of the forthcoming FirstNet public safety mobile broadband network, saying it is “long overdue”.

James Lee Witt was the director of FEMA from 1993 to 2001 and the director of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services from 1988 to 1993.

In an online editorial for Fortune magazine, he wrote that “Some have questioned the need for FirstNet, asserting that as commercial networks have proliferated, they can now adequately serve public safety. I contend, however, that a dedicated network is long overdue.

“I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges that result from inadequate communications while serving as director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services.

“In responding to fires that raged in California during my tenure, for example, our command post was unable to maintain consistent communications with firefighters on the line due to lack of coverage.

“With a dedicated network, deployable communications units could be pre-staged to overcome the lack of connectivity in rural locations.”

In the article, he outlines what he thinks the US authorities need to do to make sure FirstNet works — in particular, that it works for the people who will use it, the first responders.

You can read the full Fortune article here.

Pictured: James Lee Witt, courtesy FEMA.