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The following are notes from a proposal speculation meeting with a team of
technical and administrative people interested in working on just such a
bid to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This effort is at the heart
of being ready for any emergency, seen or unforeseen. -Sharon
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Friends,
Please see the attached proposed agenda for a meeting with the principals for the discussion of the proposal mentioned a few weeks ago from this office. Attached also find a very detailed report to Congress on the topic of DHS grant statistics and information on awards to state and local governments. I hope you are interested and can still join us. Please feel free to submit any other agenda item I may have omitted. Final agenda will arrive in your INBOX this Friday.
Please RSVP by Friday 9/28. THANKS!! -Sharon
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NATaT Washington Report
August 6, 2007
Grant for Interoperable Communications
On July 18, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez announced the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) grant allocations totaling $968,385,000. Awards were made utilizing a risk-based formula, with a minimum level of $3 million distributed to each state and $500,000 to each territory. Each state will be required to pass-through 80 percent of its allocation to sub-state entities such as, local government and designated UASI regions.
PSIC grant funds will assist public safety agencies in the acquisition and deployment of interoperable communications systems, as well as related training to enhance the ability of first responders to communicate via voice, data, and/or video signals. Projects supported with these funds must be compatible with the 700 mhz spectrum. Funds may be used to acquire systems utilizing the 700 mhz spectrum, or used to make another type of system compliant and interoperable with a 700 mhz system.
Many towns and townships have risks to local homeland security, and have needs for federal funding to protect against those risks. However, the homeland security funding provided by the federal government is heavily focused on urban areas, high security risk areas and state-based security plans. Towns and townships with genuine homeland security needs must demonstrate those needs and work in partnership with their larger regions and states to be included in state-based homeland security spending plans. Critical programs for towns and townships include SAFER grants and interoperability communications grants. These programs can fund small community projects but, again, towns/townships need to coordinate with regional and state authorities to demonstrate genuine need. NATaT supports approaches that provide additional grant funding to all communities, including small towns, for these needs.
http://www.michigantownships.org/natatrpt.asp
http://www.michigan.gov/homeland/0,1607,7-173-23583-63239--,00.html |
