FCC Names First ERIC Director

Bob Pavlak, RF and network engineering consultant for the District of Columbia has been appointed the FCC's first permanent director of the Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC).

The center was established to provide technical guidelines for the proposed 700 MHz broadband network for first responders.  Pavlak, a 30 year telecommunications veteran, is head of Network CFI, an engineering management contractor for public safety broadeband projects in the D.C. area.  His position officially starts November 7th. 

Read more at MissionCritical Communications. 

FCC: PSHSB Reorganizes Divisions

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) announced last week that its Emergency Response and Interoperability Center (ERIC) will now be classified as division-level within the bureau.  ERIC was created to nationwide operability and interoperability of the 700 MHz Public Safety broadband wireless network.  The shift to a division-level office points the chain of command back to a deputy bureau chief within the PSHSB.  This is meant to alleviate formerly inefficient front office structure.  ERIC will be staffed by reassigned existing staff and approved recruitment initiatives. The managing director requested approval for the changes from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, which was granted on April 8. 

According to the order, the PSHSB has also decided to make three additional name changes in its division offices, to "be more descriptive of their actual roles and provide a better interface for the public at large.”  The changes are as follows:

• The Policy Division will be known as the Policy and Licensing Division
• The Communications Systems Analysis Division will be known as the Cybersecurity and Communications Reliability Division
• The Public Communications Outreach and Operations division will be known as the Operations and Emergency Management Division