Governor Bentley Announces new “Ready Alabama” Initiatives Promoting Disaster Preparedness

Under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by law and pursuant thereto, I do hereby amend Executive Order Number 34, executed on August 7, 2012, by deleting the same in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

WHEREAS, since the tragic events of April 27, 2011, interoperability of voice and data communications among our first responders is of paramount importance;

WHEREAS, current state and local public safety communication systems infrastructure is limited and in most cases does not facilitate interoperable communications;

WHEREAS, federal, state, local, and tribal jurisdictions presently operate numerous disparate analog and digital radio communication systems for first responder operations with Public Safety, Public Health, Public Works and others;

WHEREAS, Congress has passed legislation which has been signed into law allocating 10 MHz of radio spectrum in the 700 MHz Band (commonly referred to as the “D Block”) to public safety for the purpose of building a nationwide broadband communications network;

WHEREAS, the bill creates an independent authority known as the First Responder Network Authority within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and provides funding to use the D Block and adjacent public safety spectrum to build the network;

WHEREAS, the D Block and other 700 MHz Spectrum will provide frequencies for exclusive use by first responders to communicate with other first responders and support personnel in areas subject to emergency incidents or disaster;

WHEREAS, there is a need for direction and coordination in implementing the First Responder Network in Alabama and this administration is committed to taking all actions deemed necessary to provide for preparation of the establishment and the coordination of these state efforts to insure the use of this spectrum for first responders responding to emergencies; and,

WHEREAS, the necessity of reliable communications and interoperability among our first responders has been demonstrated in the aftermath of numerous natural disasters affecting our state.

NOW, THEREFORE, based upon these considerations, and for other good and valid reasons related thereto, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of the State of Alabama, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Alabama, do hereby order and direct as follows: 1.    The Alabama First Responder Wireless Commission, hereafter referred to as the “Commission,” is hereby created.  The Director of the Alabama Department of Homeland Security (the “Director”) shall chair said Commission and report the status of Commission’s progress to the Governor’s Office as needed or requested;

2.      Members of the Commission shall be as follows:

a.      The Director of the Alabama Department of Homeland Security (the “Chair”);

b.      The Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency;

c.       The Director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety;

d.      The Director of the Alabama Department of Transportation;

e.      The Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard;

f.        The Administrator of the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board;

g.  The Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources;

h.      The Director of the Alabama Department of Corrections;

i.  The Chief Information Officer as appointed by the Director of the Alabama Department of Finance;

j.        The Statewide Interoperable Communications Coordinator;

k.      The Commissioner of the Alabama Forestry Commission;

l.        A representative as appointed by the Alabama Sheriffs Association;

m. A representative as appointed by the Alabama Association of Volunteer Fire Departments;

n.      A representative as appointed by the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police;

ReadyAlabama.gov for more information on disaster preparedness.  For further updates, follow ReadyAlabama on Facebook and Twitter. Also, use the hashtag #ReadyAL in your Twitter updates to spread the word.