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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Arnold-Jones

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/7/06

HJM 66

SHORT TITLE First Responder & Communications Task Force

SB

ANALYST Peery

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

NA

NA

NA

NA

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Response Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

No Responses Received From

Governor’s Office/Homeland Security

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

NM Municipal League

NM Association of Counties

SUMMARY

Synopsis of House Joint Memorial 66

House Joint Memorial 66 requests the Department of Public Safety create a task force, in col-

laboration with public safety agencies and first responders as identified by the legislature, to

convene as necessary and examine the current communications issues, including interoperability

and communications survivability in the state, and report its findings and recommendations to

the legislative Information Technology Oversight Committee by December 31, 2006. The joint

memorial requires at the minimum the task force develop the following:

•

an assessment of the current status of interoperability in the state;

•

an assessment of the current status of communications survivability in the state;

•

recommendations on establishing a permanent entity of stakeholders to address and coordi-

nate the issues of interoperability, survivability and public safety communications;

•

recommendations on priorities for possible state or federal funding, as it becomes available,

to address the issues of interoperability, survivability and public safety communications;

House Joint Memorial 66 – Page

2

•

recommendations to the legislature on changes to current state law that will remove barriers

to or encourage communications interoperability and survivability;

•

recommends to state, local and tribal executives on policy changes that will remove barriers

to or encourage communications interoperability and survivability;

•

recommendations on achieving a greater level of understanding of the importance of interop-

erability, survivability and public safety communications;

•

goals and objectives for public safety agencies, with regard to communications interoperabil-

ity and survivability; and

•

steps necessary to achieve the goals and objectives of public safety agencies, with regard to

communications interoperability and survivability.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The Department of Public Safety will have the cost of providing administrative support, meeting

space, minimal office supplies and travel to achieve the objectives of the task force.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH states the ability to communicate across jurisdictions during emergencies with voice, data

and video is constantly cited as a failure, or at the very least, as a major challenge during all

types of incidents. DOH reports New Mexico’s interoperability capabilities have been tested

during many emergencies including the Cerro Grande Fire in 2000 and the Bosque Fires in 2004.

DOH states the ability of all responders to be able to communicate during emergencies directly

affects the safety of first responders and all residents of disaster-affected communities.

DOH reports the Interoperability Communications Working Group, comprised of approximately

16 local, state, federal and non-governmental entities, has been meeting for over two years to

discuss statewide interoperability and survivability of communications systems, and their direct

relationship to positive emergency response outcomes. DOH states the proposed task force and

its work will further strengthen this discussion and should lead to development of standards for

two-way radio communications, land-line communications and computer language. DOH states

these standards are critical for enabling first responders to communicate during all types of

emergencies, including naturally occurring or man-made disasters. DOH reports it has provided

leadership in this area for two years.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Department of Public safety will be required to administratively support the task force.

RLP/yr