The Federal Communications Commission has announced plans to establish a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The FCC says the new bureau will provide a more efficient, effective and responsive organizational structure to better address public safety, homeland security, national security, emergency management and preparedness, disaster management, and other related issues.

Several areas of responsibility and function ranging from public safety answering points to network reliability and resiliency — currently dispersed among seven existing FCC bureaus and offices — would be unified within the new bureau and organized as three divisions:

1. The Policy Division would draft, develop and administer rules, regulations and policies, including those pertaining to 911 and Enhanced 911. This division also would handle the licensing of spectrum for public safety entities such as police and fire departments.
2. The Public Communications Outreach and Operations Division would be responsible for coordinating the FCC’s emergency response procedures and operations, including those related to public safety, homeland security, national security, disaster management and related functions on a day-to-day basis and during incidents or other emergencies. This division would coordinate and communicate with public safety organizations and state and local governmental agencies, and would be the lead contact for all intergovernmental coordination activities with other federal departments and agencies.
3. The Communications Systems Analysis Division would administer the FCC’s information collection requirements and perform analyses and studies concerning public safety, homeland security, national security, disaster management and related issues.

The planned changes are subject to Congressional notification before they become effective. In addition, the FCC must work with the National Treasury Employees Union Local 209 to secure its approval for issues affecting the FCC’s work force.