GUTHRIE – State Representative Jason Murphey, the Vice-Chairman of the House of Representative's Homeland Security Committee, recently joined Oklahoma State Fire Marshal Robert Doke and a delegation of state government and firefighting officials in visiting the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The local officials met with FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison.

Murphey and the Oklahoma contingent met with Paulison to discuss firefighting services and issues related to developing an 800mhz statewide emergency communications system to allow emergency officials in different agencies to communicate with one another.

Murphey said Administrator Paulson was complimentary of the manner Oklahoma officials have handled past emergencies and was supportive of the efforts made by Oklahoma officials in developing additional emergency readiness.

The development of the 800mhz system took on added importance after the 2006 Oklahoma wildfires. During this emergency, responders had enormous difficulty communicating and organizing an effective response because there is no statewide system whereby responders from one county or region can communicate with those from another. Law enforcement would also greatly benefit from a system that would allow the highway patrol to communicate with local officers when responding to incidents.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has provided nearly $30 million to Oklahoma in federal funds to set up an 800mhz system along the Interstate 44 corridor which would cover the state's most populous areas. However, the state needs approximately $130 million more in order to cover the entire state.

Because of this enormous expense, Murphey said new options should be considered for a more cost-effective, Internet-based communications system similar to OneNet, the system the State Regents for Higher Education use to provide high-speed communications to a variety of Oklahoma entities such as public schools, colleges, universities and local, tribal, state and federal governments. OneNet utilizes fiber optics and wireless technologies to transmit video, voice and data throughout Oklahoma.

During the 2007 legislative session, Murphey co-authored a bill to move in the direction of the Internet based system and is confident a similar solution will be proposed in 2008.