WASHINGTON - October 6, 2016 - America's Public Television Stations (APTS) president and CEO Patrick Butler issued the following statement today on the public safety partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate:
"America's Public Television Stations are honored to have established a formal partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to promote the deployment of public safety datacasting as an effective component in the protection of the American people.
"We look forward to working with DHS and with first responders and emergency communications agencies nationwide to marshal this promising public television technology in the service of our country.
"Pilot programs with public television stations in Houston, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Washington D.C. and other communities have demonstrated the value of datacasting in coordinating emergency response efforts among responsible agencies and bringing life-saving information to the public efficiently and effectively.
"Public safety is an essential mission of America's public television stations, together with education and civic leadership, and this landmark agreement with the Department of Homeland Security is an important step forward in the pursuit of this mission."
To read the DHS press release, click here.
About APTS
America's Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization established in 1979. The mission of APTS is to conduct - in concert with member stations - strategic planning, research, communications, advocacy and other activities that foster a strong and financially sound public television system providing essential public services to all Americans. Its affiliate APTS Action, Inc. promotes the legislative and regulatory interests of noncommercial television stations at the national level through direct advocacy and through grasstops and grassroots campaigns designed to garner bipartisan political support. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
###