Federal Computer Week is reporting on SAFECOM's release of a model plan that state officials can use to build grass-roots statewide interoperable communication networks.

Officials for the Homeland Security Department's Safecom Program released the Statewide Communications Interoperability Planning (SCIP) methodology proposal, based on a statewide plan that Virginia agencies unveiled last October in their drive to create a network for all law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions.

Federal and state officials worked collaboratively on Virginia's plan, which included support from first responders. Previous attempts failed federal officials initiated the plans. The same pattern occurs when state officials attempt to force programs at the local level.

"You have to start with local agencies," said David Boyd, who directs Safecom. "They're the guys who own, operate and maintain something on the order of 90 percent of the nation's public safety wireless communications infrastructure. They're the guys who are actually using the systems day-to-day, and so we were convinced that the key to success to any attempt to achieve interoperability was to start at that level."

Link http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0124/web-scip-01-27-05.asp

FUNDING ALERT

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program posted the initial schedule of applicant workshops for the 2005 Fire Grants. This year, the Congress has appropriated over $600M specifically for Fire Grants. The application period is tentatively scheduled for March 7 to April 8. Potential applicants and interested parties can view the schedule, as well as other fire grant program information, at http://www.firegrantsupport.com.

The Fire Grants for this year are very similar to those from last year. There is little change. One change is that the Congress has directed the program office to award a limited number of grants (on a competitive basis) to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) organizations that are not affiliated with a fire department.

The AFG program office, in addition to updates of the schedule, plans in the near future to post a copy of the PowerPoint presentation used at the workshops; Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Program Guidance; frequently asked questions (FAQ's), and; a link to the online tutorial for the FY2005 application. All of these will help an applicant submit a competitive application for the FY 2005 fire grants. In FY2004, the online tutorial was especially helpful for applicants, and received over 80,000 individual visits.

Questions about the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program may be directed by electronic mail to firegrants@dhs.gov, or you may call the toll free number at 1-866-274-0960.

Want to do more than just sign a petition? The Fire Corps is a great way to help your community. Its mission is to support and supplement resource-constrained fire departments at all levels, volunteer, combination, and career. This will be accomplished through the use of civilian advocates for non-operational related activities.

The Fire Corps hopes to leverage the innovative programs developed in communities across the country to learn about promising practices being used in existing non-operational volunteer programs; share this information with fire departments that want to expand or improve their programs; increase the use of citizen advocates in existing programs; help citizens learn about and get involved in Fire Corps programs in their communities; and help agencies without a program to get one started.

To learn about the Fire Corps program see http://www.firecorps.org/

Although a great deal of work remains, some of the foundations are already being laid for improved emergency communications. A group of communications companies and other concerned parties are working together with the Department of Homeland Security to create and promote technical standards for interoperable communications. This doesn't put new equipment in the hands of first responders, but it is a start.

Comprised of over 60 private entities, public agencies, university groups, and non-profit organizations, the Emergency Interoperability Consortium (EIC) was launched in October 2002 to address our nation's lack of consistent technical interoperability and standards for emergency and incident management. Now EIC is promoting the development and adoption of standards for using Web services, Extensible Markup Language (XML), and existing relevant standards that will enable industry interoperability.

As of January 17, 2005, the EIC has an official agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to promote the development and proliferation of data sharing standards for emergency response. The new agreement provides for a collaborative process to improve information sharing capabilities to protect the nation and its citizens from the consequences of disasters and other emergencies, regardless of cause.

For more information, check out the EIC web site (http://www.eic.org) or the recent article in Directions Magazine.

The State of Virginia has developed a great resource website that contains valuable information on federal interoperability funding sources. The site includes sections on Grant Criteria, Criteria for Equipment Grants, Supplemental Criteria Equipment Grants, and Generic Examples of Linking Disparate Communication Systems, as well as a comprehensive list of 18 links to additional online funding resources. Check it out on the State of Virginia web site.

While it has existed for fifteen years, hundreds of thousands of firefighters across America have never head of the Congressional Fire Service Institute. This organization is "designed to educate the Members of Congress about the needs and challenges of our nation's fire and emergency services."

Operating since 1989, the Congressional Fire Service Institute is a non profit organization, not a government entity.

I do not know if this type organization has been duplicated at the state level. It would be interesting to find out. Most states seem to have an official state office that can service the legislature.

In states that do have a CFSI type non-profit, which non-profit really stands out at that level?

In other words, although the names are different from state to state, does anyone have a rating system to assess which state's fire institute type organization is the best and which is the worst and which lies in between?

I am asking this because innovation sometimes comes from the small organization that tries harder or at different times or has a unique blend of talented staff that makes innovation look like child's play.

Alumni from the Institute must be a scholarly group to have served in that capacity and are probably an unparalled resource.

Next time you are in D.C. on vacation or business stop in and visit the Congressional Fire Service Institute. They will be glad to see you and hear your views. And if you travel electronically, go to their website, http://www.cfsi.org/, and check it out. Let us know what you think.

Our small volunteer fire department in Pennsylvania only handles about 225 calls per year. The active volunteers number about twenty-five. Our department sounds a lot like many other volunteer companies throughout the U.S.

Although it is a small department, the interesting calls never stop. Hunting season always sends us on a search and rescue involving some hunting party that got more than they expected when they trudged into the Pennsylvania State Game Lands.

Last year the department was called to assist on a recovery of a hunter who had a fatal fall from his tree stand.

This year a bear hunter suffered very serious head injuries in a fall from his perch on a very rocky mountainside. We responded to the mutual aid call for manpower in the neighboring township.

Paramedics were only able to reach him past the Golden Hour and we brought in the Stokes basket and rope rescue equipment after that. A cold day way up a boulder packed mountain side made it necessary for helicopter transport.

The regular medical rescue helicopter had no place to land, and had no patient lift capacity, so command asked for the local Army base for assistance from their Chinook detachment.

Although the red tape took a bit of time to cut, the Chinook arrived and stood off two hundred yards. And after going over the procedures we were going to follow for the lift, the Chinook came overhead with its gale force backwash and lowered its rescue cable a hundred and fifty feet.

In two minutes the patient was being whisked to the medical transport copter waiting in the farm field a few miles away.

Our neighboring municipality did a great communications and resource allocation job.

Isn't it interesting that time passes and often first responders never know how the patient made out in the long run? I wonder if knowing the outcome would motivate first responders even more?

You know what I mean. When you get someone out of a wrecked car quickly and minimize the time until treatment, you feel good. You are motivated.

When the outcome is poor, you always ask what you could have done differently. What equipment or training should we have had on scene? You are still being motivated but it's a sad motivator.

Everyone has been on these calls. What are some of the interesting calls you have been on?

This is the initial entry for this blog.

As we begin the new year with an exciting campaign to work with first responders across the country solving the interoperability crisis. A tour of the internet shows that web blogs are a great way for use to communicate with people on the frontlines all across the country on issues that affect firefighters, police and emergency medical responders. We think this will be innovative and result in good communication that may be invaluable.

The method of measuring success will have to be developed as we progress. But we want to extend the welcome mat not only to first responders but to anyone interested in the first responder issues. Who knows, the lessons learned in another discipline may have direct application for first responders. Our blinders are off. Thinking outside the box is welcome. As a matter of fact it is time for a new phrase that means "thinking outside the box" but goes beyond that too often used phrase.

As for me, you will not see any flashy words or concepts flowing from this source. I will be learning as I go. I'm just an old guy who likes what first responders do. All suggestions are welcome.

So, I hope you will join us and go forward and see what we can accomplish.