Excerpts of Remarks by Rep. Curt Weldon (Penn.)
1997 Annual Conference, APCO
Charlotte, NC
August 11, 1997

After careers in law enforcement, firefighting and city government, Rep. Curt Weldon has been a friend of public safety communications for many years. In his speech to the annual conference of APCO, he implored them to "get political," but explained that his remark didn't mean to get partisan. Rather, APCO members should "work the system" to obtain the frequencies its needs.

He admitted that working in Congress can be frustrating. He said that obtaining 24 MHz of spectrum for public safety was a "major battle" and that, "unfortunately, we've been only partially successful." He also admitted that he feels some of the decisions that Congress makes are on the "wrong side of the issue."

"Because of your efforts and your association's efforts," Weldon said, "we fought a long hard battle, and we won a partial victory. The FCC, in a very strong movement, came out with the full support of the administration to protect the range of spectrum that was originally guaranteed or suggested to us by the PSWAC report, the PSWAC commission, of which this association played a critical role in helping to develop."

Weldon told a humorous story that ended with the punchline of a man telling the devil, "Secretly, I've always been on your side." Weldon then said that, "many of our opponents think we are the devil, for some of the things we're doing, even though we're trying to bring some common sense back to our federal government, in the way we spend your money--not our money--but your money."

Weldon said that, unfortunately, when it came down to the House-Senate bill reconciliation process, "where we all got involved in the numbers game for the five-year balanced budget, and all the associated provisions of that massive document, and the tax relief package, the issue of spectrum relief, unfortunately, did not have the kind of presence that it should have had.

"And when the final bill was brought before the House and Senate in this compromised manner, it did not do everything that we had hoped it would do, to guarantee and protect those 24 MHz so you would be able to provide the best quality communications systems for our people all across this great nation. But we did make some inroads, but I can tell you that we did make some good inroads. And because of your efforts and the efforts of your association, we did begin to create an awareness among the members of Congress that you need us to listen to your concerns, to allow you to better be able to prepare in this country, and in our states and counties and communities, to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

"Because communications will be the critical link in every disaster that we face as a nation, whether it's a high-rise bombing, as we saw in New York at the Trade Center, or the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, or a hurricanes like Andrew and Huge, or earthquakes like Northridge and Loma Prieta, or any of the other disasters that we face day to day.

"The key factor in terms of whether or not we'll be successful or not, in saving lives and protecting property, is how well we communicate, how well we can dispatch the appropriate response mechanisms, and deal with these disasters, and how well our responders can communicate with each other.

"Now you have to understand one very important thing. You might say, 'Congressman, why, when logic shows that we're on the right side of the issue, that this spectrum allocation should be set aside with no hesitation by our federal government, why have we not succeeded?' Well, you have to understand to understand one important thing. In Washington, folks, we don't always do what is logical. And in many cases we don't do what is right or common sensical. You have to understand that we're pulled in 50 or 100 different directions every day of the year. Besides being right on the issue, you have to know how to work the issue, and you have to know how to work the process.

Back in the late '80s when Weldon was elected to Congress, he said most of his colleagues had not idea what they should be doing to promote public safety. They believed public safety was a local issue and didn't realize that, "many of our decisions in Washington were adversely impacting people day-in and day-out.

"So we decided to that perhaps we'd try to put together a new initiative, to raise the visibility of public safety issues in Washington. And it was partly out of frustration--I sit on the National Security Committee. I'm a strong supporter of our military. But it was frustrating to see us spend $300 billion a year on our national defenders, to make sure that we don't one life when we go oveseas to fight a conflict. And yet, here in America we spend a pittance of that amount of money for domestic public safety, for our domestic defenders.

For a 21st century communications system that prevents interference between competing interests in terms of the public safety frequency system, and that provides a resource for state-of-the-art technology, computer-aided dispatch and all the other mechanisms that you are on the verge of implementing for our nation, in our cities an counties. It's really a case of only peanuts provided to the life safety community in this country. It really was a case of you all being what I refer to as a sleeping giant. Because if you look across the country, there's no group that's more respected, people like yourselves, who day-in and day-out protect the lives of our citizens. And who knows how many lives you all have saved, in making sure a response is appropriate and timely and efficient. And you do that day-in and day-out.

"But gain, it's not enough to be logical and right. You've go to know how to work the system," Weldon said. "And you have tremendous challenges ahead of you. In fact, not just spectrum allocation, but making sure you have adequate resources to buy the upgraded equipment needed, as you move into the 21st century."

"But the key question for those of all of you during this week's conference is, will you get the help that you need? Or will it take a disaster for this country to respond? Will it take a major loss of life for us to realize that we're not doing enough to protect our communication system, that we're not doing enough to allow you to move into the 21st century.

"Now the answer to that question doesn't lie up here on the podium. It doesn't lie with me in Congress, even though I have a vote on those issues. It doesn't lie with mayor or the county commission chairman. It lies with each of you. And that's been one of the biggest problems of the public safety community in this country," Weldon said. He said he he's traveled in 49 of the 50 states, and the people he talks to want to blame the elected officials for problems. "And always come back and say, 'You can't blame the public officials unless you understand what it takes to convey your message.' And it only requires five simple things, that you need to understand, as a new dimenstion to your job, because if you don't do these things, our job as elected offcials, both democrats and republicans, will be much more difficult in helping you get the resources and help that you need."

Weldon then set out the five tasks that public safety offcials must undertake in order to gain Congressional support.

First, "you have to be proactive," Weldon said. "You cannot wait until we've passed laws, until we've changed policies or until we've developed budgets, to decide to get involved." He said APCO has been in the forefront of being proactive, he said, especially in the last five years. Weldon added that dispatchers must help draft the legislation, help create the budgets and, "You must be on the cutting edge."

Second, dispatchers "must reach an awareness of who you are. You are not just a dispatcher that puts the ambulance on the street to respond to a heart attack. You are not just a communications expert that makes sure your firefighters can talk to one another. You are people who make our community strong." He said that dispatchers must "tell the story across this country of who you are and what you do for America." Weldon said that dispatchers form "the backbone" of cities and towns and counties.

Third, "You must be unified," Weldon said. "Your president has done a great job." He said it can no be separate police, fire and EMS efforts. Inteads, "If you come together, there is no single group in this country that has the respect of the electorate, that has the political clout that you will have at every level of government, to get the results that you know you need, and that our citizens need, to provide the appropriate level of emergency response that this country can provide." Weldon said there is strength in unity and public safety should act with a common agenda. "Communications is that umbrella that brings all of the domestic emergency response and domestic defenders to the table.

Fourth, public safety must know how to work through the system. "You need to be there testifying before the commissions. You need to be at city council meetings as they deliberate on budgets. You need to be working the process from within."

And lastly, "You have to be political." Weldon clarified that being political does not mean being partisan. "Don't paint a donkey or an elephant on the 911 office door, because that's the worst thing you can do," he added. "If you don't work the system, the system won't work for you," he advised. "If you interact with your elected officials, our job becomes so much easier."

"If you take this message back to your cities and counties, I guarantee that next year when you meet, we'll be celebrating the complete success of the setting aside of 24 MHz--more than that--we'll be talking about a new agenda of providing assistance for the resources to help you meet the challenges of communicating in the 21st century," Weldon said.

"All of this is in your hands. It's not going to be solved by a few lobbyists in Washington. It's not going to be solved by your out-going (APCO) president or your in-coming president. It's going to be solved by each of you," Weldon said. "It's not just enough to be right on the issue. You've got to work the process."

He said the broadcasters won a partial victory on the issue of frequency set-asides. "They weren't necessarily right on the issue, but they won a victory, a partial victory. And that happened because we didn't work the system well enough across the country. Every legislator in this country should have heard from each and every one of you." Weldon then wondered how many in the audience talked to their legislator about the spectrum allocation issue.

"I challenge you as you begin your conference this year, to add one more dimension to your office. And that dimension is to respectfully engage your elected officials at all levels," Weldon said. "And if you do that, "I guarantee we'll be successful."