new executive order, this time to take over communications

[nicholas fowler]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-ord...

For Immediate Release

July 06, 2012

Executive Order -- Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions

EXECUTIVE ORDER

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ASSIGNMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTIONS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. The Federal Government must have the ability to communicate at all times and under all circumstances to carry out its most critical and time sensitive missions. Survivable, resilient, enduring, and effective communications, both domestic and international, are essential to enable the executive branch to communicate within itself and with: the legislative and judicial branches; State, local, territorial, and tribal governments; private sector entities; and the public, allies, and other nations. Such communications must be possible under all circumstances to ensure national security, effectively manage emergencies, and improve national resilience. The views of all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public must inform the development of national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications policies, programs, and capabilities.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-ord...

[Ken Harris]

There is a push by the emergency services agencies (Fire, EMS, etc) to create a block of comms channels that will increase overall effectiveness. As a member of the local VFD (Volunteer Fire Dept) comms are a real issue when you consider State, County, and Local police bands, plus Federal & State Forestry comms, plus 12 local VFD's coordinated under County Fire Chief. Channels are limited, and during an emergency these channels get very busy and cluttered, sometimes causing important and pertinent info to be missed or over ridden. Increasing the band width by Executive Order bypasses the stalemate going on in congress and the FCC over approval of the new bandwidth block.

[nicholas fowler]

I agree, Paul, something is coming, and as the days go by, whatever it is is coming faster and faster.  they have all the preparations lined up, maybe one or two to come but my own strong feelings is, once it comes it will be so utterly overwhelming, all these executive orders will be found to be useless. What  do you Think?