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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2017
NavajoNationCouncilmembersseektobridge
telecommunicationgapsforpublicsafetyontheNavajoNation
Photo:CouncilDelegateKeeAllenBegay,Jr.speakingattheFirstNetleadershipmeetingatTwinArrowsNavajoCasinoResortonJuly25,2017.
LEUPP,Ariz.–23rdNavajoNationCouncilmembersmetwiththeFirstResponderNetworkAuthority,orFirstNet,onTuesdaytodiscusstheexpansionandimprovementoftelecommunicationnetworksontheNavajoNation,specificallyrelatingtopublicsafety.
FirstNetwasestablishedin2012bytheU.S.Congressinresponsetothe9/11terroristattacks,inwhichthesystemwasdesignedtodeliveranationwidebroadbandnetworkdedicatedtopublicsafety,tostrengthenpublicsafetyusers’communicationscapabilitiesenablingthemtorespondmorequicklyandeffectivelytoaccidents,disasters,andemergencies.
LawandOrderCommitteememberCouncilDelegateKeeAllenBegay,Jr.(LowMountain,ManyFarms,Nazlini,Tachee/BlueGap,Tselani/Cottonwood)andtheOfficeoftheSpeakercoordinated
MEDIA CONTACTS Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253
Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174 Crystalyne Curley (928) 286-7918 [email protected]
theleadershipmeeting,andsaidthepurposeofthediscussionistoseekcooperationandcollaborationbetweentheNavajoNationandsurroundingcommunities,counties,andneighboringtribes.
“Understandingthatthestate’sgovernorsarethefinalauthorityinconsideringtooptintotheFirstNetsystem,IimplorethegovernorstoprioritizetheNavajoNationandsurroundingruralcommunities,”saidDelegateBegay.“IalsowanttoencouragemycolleaguestobefullyawareofwhatFirstNetcandofortheNavajoNation,it’ssoimportantthatwetakeadvantageofthisprogram.”
DelegateBegayaddedthatitwasimportantforallentitiestocontinuemaintainingpartnershipstocoordinateaneffectivepublicsafetytelecommunicationsystem.Healsothankedthecountyofficialsandlawenforcement,citymayors,andotherneighboringtribesforattendingtheleadershipmeeting.
FirstNetisledbyaboardcomposedofindividualsfromthepublicsafetycommunity,federal,state,andlocalgovernments,aswellastechnology,finance,andwirelesssectors.FirstNethasastaffofabout200employeeswithexpertiseinpublicsafety,telecommunications,customerservice,technology,procurement,andotherareasneededtodevelopthenetwork.
InanaddressattheFirstNetleadershipmeeting,Speakerofthe23rdNavajoNationCouncilLoRenzoBates(Nenahnezad,Newcomb,SanJuan,T’iisTsohSikaad,Tse’Daa’Kaan,UpperFruitland)expressedappreciationtoFirstNetforprovidingvitalinformationregardingthetelecommunicationsnetworkandhowitcansupplementtheNation’spublicsafetyinitiative.
“TheNavajoNationiseagertoworkwithandunderstandthestates’proposalanddeploymentoftheirFirstNetintegrationplans.ItisveryimportantthetribesareconsultedasprogressismaderegardingtelecommunicationsexpansioninIndianCountry,especiallytheNavajoNationwhichliesinthreestates,”saidSpeakerBates.
HeaddedthattheCouncilsupportedtheuseofdeployabletechnologiessuchasmobilecommunicationsystemsthatcanbetemporarilyinstalledinareaswhereemergenciesmayoccur,whichallowtheuseofexistingsatellite,microwave,andradiosystemstocommunicateemergenciestoruralcommunitieswithlimitedtelecommunicationcapabilities.
CouncilDelegateAmberKanazbahCrotty(Beclabito,Cove,Gadi’i’áhi/To’Koi,RedValley,ToohHaltsooi,Toadlena/TwoGreyHills,Tséałnáoz’t’I’í),chairfortheSexualAssaultPreventionSubcommittee,reiteratedtheneedfortheNavajoNationtoimplementitsownuniqueAMBERAlertsystem,andsaidFirstNetisavitalcomponenttoitsdevelopment.
“EveryNavajocitizenshouldhaveaccesstoemergencycommunication.Livinginaruralareahasmanypositiveaspects,butweareconstantlychallengedwithemergencycommunicationsandnotificationslikesevereweatherandAMBERAlerts.Weneedtocontinuetohavefrankconservationswithelectedofficialsfromthethreestatesandserviceproviders.Thiswillsavelivesandpreventfuturetragedies,”saidDelegateCrotty.
CouncildelegatesinattendanceattheleadershipmeetingincludedEdmundYazzie,RaymondSmith,Jr.,OttoTso,HermanDaniels,Jr.,DwightWitherspoon,andJonathanPerry.
Inadditiontotheleadershipmeeting,DelegateBegaywhoalsoservesaschairfortheTribal-InteriorBudgetCouncil’sSubcommitteeonPublicSafetyandJusticeprovidedanoverviewofthesubcommitteesactivitiesandupdatesregardingtheFY2018U.S.DepartmentofJusticeandBureauofIndianAffairspublicsafetybudgetproposals.
“Thecurrentprocessfortribestogainaccesstopublicsafetyfundingisdoneonacompetitivebasis,however,tribesshouldnothavetocompeteforfederalfunding.Wehavetoadvocateandpushforawaytodecreasethebureaucraticprocessesandstreamlinefundingdirectlytotribes,”saidDelegateBegay.
TheTIBCalsohelditscouncilmeetingattheTwinArrowsNavajoCasinoResortfromJuly24-27.ThecouncilprovidesaforumandprocessfortribalgovernmentsandfederalofficialstoworktogetherindevelopingannualbudgetrequestsforNativeAmericanprogramswithintheU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior,andeducatesandadvisestribesregardingthefederalbudgetprocess.
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Fornewsonthelatestlegislativebranchactivities,pleasevisitwww.navajonationcouncil.orgorfindusonFacebookandTwitter,keywords:NavajoNationCouncil
