If you want to get the radios you need, it is time to get your computer heated up and get your best fill-in-the-blanks person on the key board. The Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program clock is ticking down. April 7 is coming fast. You have a lot of bids to get for the radio equipment you want for your fire, ems or combined company.
But before you you finalize the application, make sure you are heading in the right direction. The Department of Homeland Security's Program Guidance document for the 2005 AFGP should be consulted.
http://www.firegrantsupport.com/docs/2005AFGguidance.pdfInstead of me interpreting the document, here are the exact words from page 16.
"Individual communications equipment (portable radios) and/or mobile communications equipment (including mobile repeaters) are eligible but cell phones are not eligible. We will only fund enough mobile radios to equip the vehicle inventory listed in the application. We will not fund mobile radios for personally owned vehicles with the exception of the chief ... officer's personal vehicle if adequately justified in the application. Mobile data systems are eligible. Integrated communications systems such as base stations, computer-aided dispatch, fixed-site repeaters, wireles and broadband mobile data systems, etc. are eligible under this activity."
Hold on now. Not so fast. The hard part is coming.
There is further guidance because the goal is for your system to mesh with your State's overall plan.
The Guidance document goes on, "The purchase of any communications system should have the intent and/or goal of solving your interoperability problems, as applicable. Note that each State will be provided with the opportunity to review requests for communications equipment, with respect to interoperability problems and the State's homeland security strategy. Any applicant seeking funding for equipment herein should provide details in the narrative section of the application regarding their local plan to enable interoperability for the jurisdiction."
Now that is a mouthfull and your workload has just been tripled.
So get on the stick. Time is running out. Any tips or comments you have for other first responders are appreciated. You can do this by clicking the comment link below.
