There is a tendency in our field to focus only on the first half of recovery. We all generally agree the recovery starts immediately after the response and think it’s over when the FEMA Joint Field Office leaves town. But when we view the finish line as the day when most of the Individual and Public Assistance missions have wrapped up, we miss the most important (and hardest) part…

Losing cell service for significant periods does not just present work and scheduling inconveniences. It also poses grave threats to public safety. On Feb. 22, millions of Americans lost complete access to their cellular reception thanks to signal blackouts that crossed the entire country. This episode, while unfortunate, demonstrates just how crucial it is for Congress to begin shoring up the United States’ emergency infrastructure.

The popular, bipartisan bill, which would prevent automakers from removing AM radio from their vehicles, received a motion for passage by unanimous consent in the United States Senate. While the rest of the chamber supported passage, Paul objected, stating that he saw the bill as nothing more than a way to preserve some Americans’ “favorite form of entertainment.”