Federal Communications Commission DA 26-620 DA 26-620 Released: June 24, 2026 THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON AN APPLICATION AND WAIVER REQUEST FROM THE CITY OF BEACON FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEW YORK TO LICENSE A UHF CHANNEL PAIR FROM THE INDUSTRIAL/BUSINESS POOL ULS File Number 0011998698 Comment Date: July 24, 2026 Reply Comment Date: August 10, 2026 The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on an application and associated waiver request by Public Safety Pool licensee, the City of Beacon, Fire Department, New York (Beacon). City of Beacon Fire Department, Application, Universal Licensing System (ULS) File no. 0011998698 (received Apr. 16, 2026 and modified Apr. 21, 2026) (Beacon Application). See also Attachment to the Beacon Application labeled “Waiver” (attached Apr. 16, 2026) (Waiver Request). Beacon seeks to license a UHF channel pair from the Industrial/Business (I/B) Pool and use the two channels in its conventional land mobile radio system. Beacon is currently licensed via call sign KGW661 to operate a base station in the city of Beacon, New York with associated mobile units operating within eight kilometers of that base station. The base station is licensed to transmit on Public Safety Pool UHF channels 453.6375 MHz and 460.400 MHz while the mobile units transmit on Public Safety Pool UHF channels 453.6375 MHz, 458.6375 MHz and 460.400 MHz. It is also licensed to operate on two low-band VHF channels. Beacon seeks to add a new base station to its network on the other side of the Hudson river in nearby New Windsor, New York transmitting on I/B Pool UHF channel 462.300 MHz with associated mobile units operating within thirty-two kilometers of the new base station and transmitting on paired I/B Pool UHF channel 467.300 MHz. See Beacon Application and call sign KGW661. Beacon states that it “provides critical fire protection and emergency response services in the Beacon, New York area” but that it needs to add a new base station repeater to its radio network “to support reliable dispatch and on-scene communications.” Waiver Request at 1. Beacon notes that its radio system “is based on existing UHF infrastructure, including portable and mobile radios, repeaters, and interoperability configurations with neighboring agencies.” Id. Beacon indicates, however, that its region is “characterized by extremely high spectrum congestion” and that “no suitable frequencies are available within the Public Safety Pool” for its proposed new base station repeater. Id. Nonetheless, Beacon has identified a UHF channel pair from the I/B Pool which it says “can be assigned without [causing] harmful interference” to other nearby licensees. Id. Beacon proposes to use the I/B Pool channel pair at its new base station to support its “life-saving operations, including fire suppression and emergency medical response.” Id. Section 90.35(a) of the Commission rules, however, limits eligibility for licensing channels from the I/B pool to entities performing commercial, educational, philanthropic or other business related activities. 47 CFR § 90.35(a). Absent the requested waiver, Beacon, a public safety licensee, would not be eligible to license the requested I/B Pool channel and use it for its internal public safety and first responder communications. Public safety entities may license channels from the I/B Pool but only if they use those channels for the business activities listed in § 90.35(a)(1)-(4). See 47 CFR § 90.35(a)(5). In support of its waiver request, Beacon includes a letter from its Commission-certified frequency coordinator, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, International (APCO), confirming the lack of available Public Safety Pool channels from the UHF band for Beacon’s proposed operation. Letter from Carol DiCaro, AFC Team Leader, APCO International to FCC (Apr. 8, 2026) (finding that it “found no UHF public safety frequencies that will work at the proposed site due to co channel users that do not meet coordination protocols and/or frequency limitations.”) (attached Apr. 16, 2026 to the Beacon Application). See also Attachment to Beacon Application labeled “Frequency Search” (attached Apr. 16, 2026) (listing incumbent licensees operating on Public Safety Pool channels in the UHF band near Beacon’s proposed base station location). Beacon also includes a letter from FIT, a Commission-certified I/B Pool frequency coordinator, affirming that it concurs with Beacon’s proposal to license the I/B Pool frequency pair listed on its application. Letter from David Smith, Executive Vice President, FIT (Mar. 24, 2026) (attached to the Beacon Application, Apr. 16, 2026 ). We seek comment on Beacon’s request for a waiver of the eligibility requirements in section 90.35(a) of the Commission’s rules to license an I/B Pool channel pair for base/mobile communications and use the channel pair for public safety communications. Waiver Request at 1; 47 CFR § 90.35(a). In particular, we seek comment from any party who would be affected by Beacon’s proposed operation on the I/B Pool channel pair listed on its application. See Beacon Application. Interested parties may file comments on or before July 24, 2026. Parties may file replies on or before August 10, 2026. Instructions for Filing Comments All comments and reply comments should reference the subject City of Beacon, Fire Department Waiver Request and the DA number indicated on this Public Notice. Comments may be filed: (1) electronically by accessing the applicant’s file number(s) in the Commission’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Enhances the Commission’s Universal Licensing System to Implement Electronic Filing for Pleadings, Public Notice, 21 FCC Rcd 424 (WTB 2006). See http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-125A1.pdf. or (2) by filing paper copies. Electronic Filers:  Pleadings may be submitted electronically as follows: · Begin the process by using the following link to the ULS website https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/pleadings/pleadingsType.jsp. The link will take you to the “Pleading Information” screen for “Non-docketed Pleadings” where you select “Reply” in the drop-down window for the type of pleading and then enter the pleadings filer information. Completion of the contact information is optional. Upon completion of this screen, please note the instructions for the filing: “Pleadings must be dated and must include a signature, in this instance an electronic signature, and the address and phone number of the signing party.” See 47 CFR Part 1. Click on “CONTINUE.” · The second step is to complete the File Numbers/Call Signs screen. Click if the pleading pertains to a File Number or Call Sign and enter the File Number or Call Sign. Please note that you must enter a File Number or Call Sign to continue. If the pleading pertains to multiple applications or licenses, you must enter each File Number or Call Sign as appropriate. After clicking the “SUBMIT” button, the screen will update to show all the File Numbers/Call Signs associated with the pleading. At this time, you may delete selected File Numbers/Call Signs from the page before continuing. · The third step is to complete the Attach File screen to attach the pleading document. Use the drop-down box to select Pleading or Confidential Pleading. The “BROWSE” button opens a file upload window where you will locate and select your pleading file. The Description field allows you to enter a brief description for the pleading. Click the “ADD ATTACHMENT” button to upload your pleading. You may submit up to thirty files for each pleading but each file must be smaller than 10 MB in size. You also can delete any selected file from the pleading. · Finally, to complete your electronic pleading submission, click on the “SUBMIT PLEADING” button and the Confirmation screen will be displayed. The Confirmation screen will display your Confirmation Number as well as your entered pleadings information. You may print this page for your records by selecting the Print Page link at the top of the page and have the option of submitting another pleading or returning to the ULS website by selecting a link at the bottom of the page. The ULS Application Search results will display pleadings under the ADMIN tab when a comment or reply comment has been filed. Users can view the pleading by clicking on the link for the specific comment or reply comment in the Description field. The general public will not be able to view confidential pleadings. For additional information or assistance on how to file a comment or reply comment or other relevant pleading, you may visit the Web at https://www.fcc.gov/available-support-services. You may also call the FCC ULS Customer Support Center at (877) 480-3201 and select option 2. For TTY, please call (717) 338-2824. Assistance from the FCC ULS Customer Support Center is available between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). To provide quality service and ensure security, all telephone calls to the FCC ULS Customer Support Center are recorded. Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must submit an original and one copy of each filing. · Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. o Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. o U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554 The application(s), waiver request, and comments and reply comments can be accessed electronically via the Commission’s Universal Licensing System, http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). For additional information, contact Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov, (202) 418-0838, of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Policy and Licensing Division. -FCC- 2