NC Florida News

Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Richard Hudson have announced a hearing focused on public safety communications in the United States. Guthrie, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with Hudson, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, emphasized the importance of reliable communication systems for public safety. "One of the primary functions of a nation is to ensure the safety of its people. Our public safety community requires reliable communications to respond adequately during an emergency," they said.

The hearing, titled "Public Safety Communications in the United States," took place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. It was open to both the public and press and was also available via livestream at energycommerce.house.gov.

Randall C. Wright from the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications provided testimony. The university's WUFT-TV and WUFT-FM have collaborated with state emergency management agencies to develop effective public alerting initiatives. Their Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN), launched in 2013, has been recognized for its coverage during crises.

Additionally, a new initiative called BEACON (Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network) is being developed by WUFT in partnership with Project Beacon LLC. This network aims to provide continuous broadcast alerting services.

The hearing sought to explore ways Congress could support these critical infrastructures that served as essential tools for disseminating local, state, and federal alerts through resilient over-the-air radio channels.

For inquiries about this hearing or press-related questions, contact Noah Jackson or Daniel Kelly via their respective email addresses provided by the committee.

Information from this article can be found here.