Wanted:  Interop Tech Advisors

The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is looking for 14 people to sit on its Technical Advisory Board for First Responder Interoperability, tasked with “develop[ing] recommended minimum technical requirements to ensure a nationwide level of interoperability for the nationwide public safety broadband network.” 

The board must be in place March 23, so nominations are due March 7.

According to the agency, voting members appointed to the Interoperability Board “shall have specific expertise necessary to developing technical requirements” for nationwide interoperability. This expertise may include “technical expertise, public safety communications expertise, and commercial network experience.” And here’s more:

>> Four members must represent “wireless providers.” Of these four, two members must represent “national wireless providers,” one must represent “regional wireless providers,” and one must represent “rural wireless providers.”
>> Three members must represent “equipment manufacturers.”
>> Four members must represent “public safety entities.”  Of these four, at least one member must represent “management level employees of public safety entities” and one must represent “employees of public safety entities.”
>> Three members must represent “state and local governments.”  These three members must be “chosen to reflect geographic and population density differences across the United States.”

Each nomination need to include details regarding how the nominee’s representation would satisfy the statutory criteria for membership on the Interoperability Board; each nomination also should include credentials, and self-nominations are permitted.

Send nominations to Jennifer A. Manner, deputy bureau chief/Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, FCC, via e-mail at [email protected] or via U.S. mail at 445 12th Street, SW, Room 7-C738, Washington, DC 20554.