Furth named acting chief of FCC public-safety bureau
Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps yesterday announced that David Furth will be the acting chief of the agency’s public-safety and homeland-security bureau (PSHSB).
An FCC employee for 16 years, Furth has been a PSHSB associate bureau chief since September 2006 and has been credited by many in the industry for playing a key role in resolving a backlog of issues before the FCC that were causing many 800 MHz rebanding negotiations between Sprint Nextel and public-safety licensees to stall.
“David has worked with public safety well for many years and is somebody who is reasonable and understands public-safety issues,” Harlin McEwen, chairman of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s communications and technology committee, said during an interview with Urgent Communications.
Furth replaces Derek Poarch, who was appointed by former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin in February 2007 as the first PSHSB chief.
Furth’s appointment will become effective at the close of business tomorrow.