WHEREAS, radio spectrum designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for public safety interoperability does not include eligibility for Police organizations operated by Class I, II, and II railroads; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officers who are certified and/or commissioned as a police officer under the laws of any state, in accordance with the regulations issued by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation and employed full time as a railroad police officer for a Class I, II, or III railroad, as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board and recognized by the Federal Railroad Administration should be granted specific authority to hold license authorization on FCC frequencies reserved for public safety interoperability; and

WHEREAS, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) has been issued a FCC license for 20 MHz of public safety broadband spectrum for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) in accordance with Public Law 112-96 enacted on February 22, 2012; and

WHEREAS, railroad police officers as described above should be designated as eligible users of the NPSBN to provide for improved nationwide public safety interoperability; and now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association Chiefs of Police strongly supports actions that seek to improve Railroad Police access to FCC Frequencies reserved for public safety interoperability as well as access to the FirstNet Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association Chiefs of Police assembled at its 120th Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, , hereby authorizes the IACP Communications & Technology Committee and the IACP Railroad Police Section to collaborate to represent the interests of the IACP in the furtherance of these improvements.

Submitted by: Communications & Technology Committee & Railroad Police Section

CTC.t0027.2013