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PSIC Office Updates - January 18, 2011
In This Issue
- OEC Releases FY 2011 SAFECOM Guidance for Federal Grant Programs
- Regional Governance Workshops - January 26 & 27
- Federal Communications Commission to Hold VHF/UHF Narrowbanding Workshop - January 26
- Less than 2 Short Years Away: What is the Status of Narrowbanding Today?
- ITAC Approves Radio Communications Interoperability Project
- 2011 Calendar of Meetings
OEC Releases FY 2011 SAFECOM Guidance for Federal Grant Programs
The Fiscal Year 2011 SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants has been posted to the SAFECOM website for use by grantees in drafting their 2011 applications. Like its predecessors, this document provides guidance on eligible emergency communications activities and equipment standards. Unlike its predecessors, this year's SAFECOM Guidance is directed toward grantees, including State, local and tribal recipients.
Here are some other key ways the SAFECOM Guidance has changed for FY 2011:
- Grantees are encouraged to allocate grant funds to plan and implement activities that will ensure compliance with the FCC narrowband mandate by the January 1, 2013, deadline.
- With the increase in Federal funding for broadband and next-generation technologies available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, next-generation activities to existing cost categories have been added, as well as new standards for broadband and next-generation technologies.
- Updates have been made to the Project 25 (P25) standard, to provide basic information and additional resources for grantees on the suite of standards for digital radio communications.
- Since many Federal grants require grantees to submit a system life cycle plan with grant applications, a sample life cycle plan for grantees is included in Appendix A.
We encourage all stakeholders to review the SAFECOM Guidance when developing emergency communications investments.
The Fiscal Year 2011 SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants is available online at: http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/library/grant/1638_fy2011.htm
Regional Governance Workshops - January 26 & 27
The Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Office, with support from the Federal Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), is hosting two half day regional governance workshops. The purpose of these federally facilitated workshops is to help advance Arizona's SCIP by bringing together local communities to develop regional governance structures for interoperable communications.
The workshops will assist these communities in developing a regional governance framework for interoperability. Through facilitated discussion, current regional interoperability governance will be reviewed and ways to enhance and develop the governance framework will be discussed. The workshops will be tailored to meet the needs and priorities of each county.
Through the generosity of the hosting counties, interested parties from other counties are invited and welcome to attend one of the workshops to learn more about regional governance for interoperable communications. PSIC will support regional governance development in interested communities in 2011 and the workshop will provide excellent background for such efforts.
The workshops will be held the afternoon of Wednesday, January 26 in Pinal County and the morning of Thursday, January 27 in Gila County. Public safety officials from these jurisdictions are strongly encouraged to participate.
Pinal County Regional Governance Workshop
Wednesday, January 26
1 PM - 5 PM
Pinal County Complex
31 North Pinal street, Bldg F
Florence AZ, 85132
Please RSVP to Lou Miranda at 520-866-6462
Gila County Regional Governance Workshop
Thursday, January 27
9 AM - 1 PM
Payson Police Department Training Room
303 N. Beeline Highway
Payson, AZ 85541
Please RSVP to Debra Williams at 928-402-8763
Additional workshop information is available online at: http://www.azgita.gov/psic/meetings/calendar.htm
Federal Communications Commission to Hold VHF/UHF Narrowbanding Workshop - January 26
The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced it will hold a workshop on VHF/UHF narrowbanding to assist licensees in completing the transition to narrowband radio communications by January 1, 2013. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 26, from 1:00 PM -4:30 PM EST (11 AM - 2:30 PM MST) in the Commission Meeting Room. Audio/video coverage of the meeting will also be broadcast live with open captioning over the Internet from the FCC's web page: http://reboot.fcc.gov/live/. The FCC's webcast is free to the public.
The workshop will provide Public Safety and Industrial/Business licensees with information regarding the narrowbanding transition path, and will include input from federal agencies, equipment manufacturers, and public safety organizations to help ensure timely compliance with the deadline across the nation. The Commission will release a complete agenda closer to the event date.
Additional workshop information is available online at: http://www.azgita.gov/psic/news/2011/01032011.htm
Less than 2 Short Years Away: What is the Status of Narrowbanding Today?
By January 1, 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that all public safety and business industrial land mobile radio (LMR) systems operating in the 150-512 MHz radio bands must cease operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology, and begin operating using at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology. The FCC mandate to narrowband is 2 short years away. NPSTC has created a Narrowbanding Questionnaire to ascertain the status of narrowbanding across the country. Completing this questionnaire will help the FCC assist jurisdictions to develop helpful strategies to accomplish the narrowbanding goal.
The Narrowbanding Questionnaire and additional information is available online at: http://www.azgita.gov/psic/news/2010/12162010.htm
ITAC Approves Radio Communications Interoperability Project
The State of Arizona Information Technology Authorization Committee (ITAC) unanimously approved the PSIC Office Radio Communications Interoperability Project when they met on December 15, 2010. The project is a joint effort between The Government Information Technology Agency (GITA), the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Yuma Regional Communications System (YRCS) to advance the States strategic initiative to "Upgrade Operable Communication Systems for State Agencies in Support of Interoperable Communications" (2010 SCIP Section 5.8.3.5, Page 57). The project utilizes $2.2 million in available Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) funding to further interoperable communications in the southern part of the State.
The project will expand interoperability in the southern Arizona border area by deploying standards-based P25 communications capability at 6 key transmitter sites. The project will utilize the YRCS master zone controller and DPS' upgraded digital microwave backbone to provide transport. Conventional Channel Gateways to be installed at each site will enable patching of conventional channels with trunked talkgroups. Connections with the State Emergency Operations Center, Public Safety Answering Points and other strategic connections will also be established to tie in local agencies to the system for interoperability purposes. Interoperability Governance will be developed by PSIC with advice from PSCC, SIEC, DPS, YRCS and local Stakeholders.
This project was favorably reviewed by key partner agencies involved in communications interoperability - Arizona Department of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Transportation, and Arizona Department of Homeland Security. The project was also endorsed by the Southern Regional Advisory Council and several local border communities, was approved by the PSCC at their open public meeting on September 21, 2010 and by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee on October 8, 2010.
2011 Calendar of Meetings
The 2011 Meeting Schedule for the Public Safety Communications Advisory Commission (PSCC) and Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) has been established. Please mark your calendars for these important meetings. We have secured the 3rd Floor Conference Room in the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) building for all 2011 meetings, except where noted. We will continue to hold the July PSCC meeting in Flagstaff during the annual Law Enforcement Pow Wow and the September PSCC meeting in Southern Arizona. Additional meeting information is available online at: http://www.azgita.gov/psic/meetings/calendar.htm
2011 PSCC Meeting Schedule
All 2011 PSCC Meetings will be held from 1 - 3 PM.
Tuesday, February 15
Tuesday, April 19
July - Law Enforcement POW WOW - Flagstaff - Location/Time TBD
Tuesday, September 20 - Westside Multi Service Center, 1310 W. Miracle Mile, Tucson, AZ 85705
Tuesday, November 15
2011 SIEC Meeting Schedule
All 2011 SIEC Meetings will be held from 10 AM - 12 PM.
Tuesday, February 15
Tuesday, March 15
Tuesday, May 17
Tuesday, August 16
Tuesday, October 18
For more information, contact the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Office at 602-364-4498 or email psic@azgita.gov
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