What Happened?

If you run or rely on a local fire department, federal emergency communications funding can pay for radios, headsets and mobile data terminals, but the application windows in a new report's table are closed. ​

That is according to a Legis1 review of Connecting Constituents with Federal Assistance for Local Emergency Communications Projects. The Congressional Research Service (CRS), Congress's in-house research arm, wrote it. Its funding table is current as of Oct. 28, and its notes say the listed notices of funding opportunity, the formal announcements that open applications, have closed.

The report finds grants spread across five departments:

  • Homeland Security: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds some grants by formula, so every state and territory gets money, and runs others as competitions.
  • Agriculture: Its programs are typically limited to rural applicants, and its loans and loan guarantees can fund 911 and emergency communications services in rural areas.
  • Commerce: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) "does not currently administer any public-safety-specific grant programs."
  • Justice: Its programs list communications costs, including radios for tribal law enforcement.
  • Transportation: Its Safe Streets and Roads for All program lists emergency communications.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Many preparedness grants list interoperable communications equipment, meaning gear that lets different agencies talk to each other, as an allowable expense, the report says.

For your town, the route to that money depends on the program. Some grants go to states, which pass money to local sub-recipients, while others let tribal or local entities apply directly.

Under the Homeland Security Grant Program, states must pass through at least 80 percent of funds to tribal or local entities in two of its three component programs. Assistance to Firefighters Grants can cover radios and data terminals for local fire departments and independent emergency medical services groups. NTIA once ran the $1 billion Public Safety Interoperable Communications grant.

Both Sides, Now

The Legis1 review shows many programs that cover communications gear. The opposing view is that emergency communications funding is fragmented, limited or unavailable in some programs, which could leave first responders without reliable, interoperable communications.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress's auditing agency, has documented problems of this kind. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, GAO reported that communications problems caused by limited planning had a "debilitating effect" on response efforts.

In 2007, GAO found that equipment bought by localities tended to address short-term, local voice problems, while longer-term statewide solutions went unaddressed. GAO's Katrina report does not say grant funding caused those problems.

What Happens Next?

NTIA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration removed the rules for the 911 Grant Program in a Federal Register rule dated Oct. 6. Congress controls federal spending, and the rule says the program was no longer active and had received no new appropriations to revive or extend it.

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