9/11 group and New York politicians call for nationwide emergency radio system in D.C.
WASHINGTON - Ground Zero responders who survived 9/11 found themselves in another life-and-death struggle Wednesday: convincing Congress to start a national emergency radio system.
"I was in an emergency command center at Ground Zero on Sept. 11 and we couldn't talk to people across the street because the communication system failed," retired NYPD Lt. Richard Ruggiero told all who would listen.
"How many people died that day who didn't have to? The radios failed that day, and haven't improved much since. It's time to fix the problem."
The lieutenant was part of a band of 15 first-responders prodding lawmakers to create a nationwide broadband system so emergency crews can talk to each other across city, state and network lines.
"It's not a Republican issue. It's not a Democratic issue. It's an American issue, and a no-brainer," said 9/11 activist John Feal.
New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand asked Feal to work his magic on this proposal, given his success in helping pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act last year.
The trip Wednesday was Feal's 93rd to Washington from his Long Island home.
"It takes forever to get anything done in Washington. But 10 years - time is up," said Feal, noting the Sept. 11 Commission recommended a unified communication system more than seven years ago.
The sticking point is money. A bipartisan Senate proposal crafted by Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) would pay for the $12 billion system with a broadband auction. Early estimates said the $10 billion surplus would then help pay off the national deficit. Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office pegged the deficit reduction impact at $6.5 billion.
"It will cost the taxpayers nothing," insisted Rockefeller, who pushed linking the radio legislation to current debt- reduction talks.
Some House Republicans, while in favor of a nationwide system, doubt it will pay for itself. They want to use all the money raised by a bandwidth auction to pay down the debt, and then have private industry build and run the emergency system.
As lawmakers quibbled, Feal had a promise: "We'll be back next week."
