House Passes a Bill for First Responder Protocol
The House voted 414 to 2 to approve a bill aimed at improving communication among police, firefighters and emergency crews. If enacted, supporters say, the measure could help fix a common problem: emergency workers hampered by incompatible radio systems.
The bill would require state and local governments to develop guidelines among first responders to be eligible for federal Homeland Security grants.
The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.), called it a response to the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, which both showed that first responders from different agencies and jurisdictions had trouble communicating with each other.
The measure now goes to the Senate.
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