January 4, 2007

  Security of Central Ohioans
Receives National Recognition

WASHINGTON , DC – Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus) released the following statement pursuant to the recent announcements that central Ohio is among the nation’s strongest areas for its system of tactical interoperable communications, and that Port Columbus International Airport’s federal security director (FSD) Tom Rice has been named the FSD of the Year for the Eastern Region:

“These two designations should provide much peace of mind to central Ohio residents in knowing that every thing possible is being done to protect them,” said Pryce. “To feel secure from threats, we must have significant faith in both the technology and equipment available to our first responders and security personnel, as well as confidence in the individuals tasked with ensuring our safety.  Central Ohioans should take pride and comfort in knowing that our safety and infrastructure are being protected by the very best of personnel and with state-of-the-art technology.”

Last week, Port Columbus Federal Security Director Tom Rice was named by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Transportation Security Administration as its FSD of the Year for the Eastern Region. Said Pryce, “Tom Rice’s four decades of distinguished and impeccable service in law enforcement is no secret to central Ohio, and I am thrilled to see his leadership in security recognized nationally by our nation’s top security agency. Passengers at Port Columbus know and trust Tom. And even amid passenger uncertainty due to terrorist threats, his innovative and professional leadership has helped Port Columbus continue to grow and business at Rickenbacker to flourish.”

Yesterday, it was also announced by DHS that Columbus is but one of six cities nationally to successfully implement an advanced, interoperable emergency communications system -- a deficiency glaringly evident in most cities following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when first responders of various agencies were unable to communicate with each other.

Since 9/11, Pryce has enjoyed considerable success in securing federal money to fund local law enforcement and first responder communication needs. Most notably, in 2005 Pryce helped secure $500,000 for the Ohio Highway Patrol’s TACNET system, an interoperable communication system for patrol cruisers allowing personnel to communicate with local, state, and federal safety agencies, thereby ensuring a quick response to emergency situations.

Additionally, in 2004, Pryce delivered $750,000 in federal appropriations for the Columbus Division of Police to upgrade its Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) by which officers can determine the identity and criminal history of a suspect by scanning the suspect’s fingerprints from the cruiser and matching the prints against a criminal database.