September 22, 2008 - 1:53pm
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SCALERA-CAPUTO BILL TO PROMOTE IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS AMONG EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ADVANCES

SCALERA-CAPUTO BILL TO PROMOTE IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS AMONG EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ADVANCES

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblymen Fred Scalera and Ralph R. Caputo sponsored to promote improved communications among emergency responders was released today by an Assembly panel.

The measure (AR-149) urges New Jersey counties and municipalities to buy interoperable communications equipment that conforms with Project 25, a joint effort by homeland security and emergency response professionals to address the need for common communications standards for first responders.

“We saw on 9/11 how the inability of some agencies to readily communicate with each other caused some confusion,” said Scalera (D-Essex), chairman of the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee that released the bill. “The last thing anyone needs when responding to a crisis is confusion. Counties and municipalities should do what’s right to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Scalera and Caputo, (D-Essex) said the goal is to allow local, county, state and federal emergency responders across professional disciplines and jurisdictions to communicate seamlessly with each other.

The measure was released 5-0. It now heads to the Assembly Speaker who will decide if and when to post it for a floor vote.

THESTER can be reached via email at thester@njleg.org.

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