FCC 5-0 Allows Railroad Police to Use Public Safety Interoperability Channels
FCC commissioners approved 5-0 an order making railroad police eligible to use various interoperability channels to communicate with public safety officers already using the frequencies (see 1509010044). The change had the support of both the railroads and public safety groups…
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when the FCC sought comment last year (see 1511160026). The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council sought the rule change. “Promoting interoperability -- to ensure that emergency responders from different jurisdictions and disciplines can communicate with each other -- is a critical goal of the Commission’s public safety objectives,” said the order, Tuesday. The FCC is permitting railroad police to use VHF, UHF, 700 MHz narrowband and 800 MHz National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee interoperability channels. The order had broad support, including from the Department of Transportation, the FCC said. “We agree with commenters that adoption of our proposal to give railroad police access to the interoperability channels is warranted,” the commission said. “Train derailments can result in significant passenger injuries and loss of life as well as property damage, and can require large, multi-jurisdictional responses.” The FCC said it expanded slightly the Federal Railroad Administration’s definition of railroad police officer to ensure the rules cover “Amtrak police, freight railroad police, commuter railroad police, passenger rail transit system police, and part-time railroad police officers.” But the FCC turned down a request by the American Petroleum Institute that the agency extend its railroad police proposal to oil and gas companies and other critical infrastructure industry entities: “API’s proposal is outside the scope of this proceeding, which is focused on railroad police eligibility to access the interoperability channels, and thus will not be further addressed here.”