Funding


Funding interoperability is an investment in public safety. Improving public safety radio communications will have a long-term impact on the health, safety and well-being of every person, family and business in Washington state.

Rural Area Communications Funding Opportunity


If you manage a rural area with population densities below 100 persons per square mile you may be eligible for rural emergency notification grant funding.

The application deadline is February 26, 2010.

Helpful Federal Documents


SAFECOM's Recommended Guidance for Federal Grant Programs (pdf 613kb). Prepared by Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications. This 11-page document is designed to help Federal grant programs target their funds to support National goals and objectives while simultaneously increasing the interoperable and emergency communications capabilities at the State and local levels of government. The document outlines recommended allowable costs and applications requirements for Federal grant programs providing funding for interoperable emergency communications.

How To Guide for Funding State and Local Wireless Networks (pdf 430kb). This 48-page document contains information on estimating network lifecycle funding requirements, developing a comprehensive funding strategy, implementing the funding strategy, and maintaining full funding for the network lifecycle.

Federal Grant Guidance/P25 (pdf 228 kb). This six page document from SAFECOM/Homeland Security/Office of Emergency Communications provides grant guidance and diagrams for P25 CAP (Compliance Assessment Program) SDoC (Supplier’s Declaration of Compliance) documents or P25 standards documents relevant to your LMR build Plans to:

  • Tie Two Communications Systems Together—using portable or fixed gateways or bridging systems
  • Build Out an Existing Analog or Digital Communications System — infrastructure (repeaters) and subscriber units
  • Purchase a New LMR System — analog or digital, conventional or trunked

Grant Review Checklist (pdf 114 kb). This two-page checklist provides a number of helpful reminders from the National Association of Counties to help you prepare a successful grant submission.

Interoperability Emergency Communication
Grant Program (IECGP)

IECGP 2010 - Coming Soon

It’s a good time to start considering projects for IECGP 2010. The grant guidance is expected to be released some time in November and the submittal period will likely dictate a short timeline.

Good morning –

This notice is being sent in anticipation of the Federal Fiscal Year 2010 Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant announcement. At this time, we expect the guidance to once again address the priorities of governance, planning, training, and exercises. 

The IECGP provides governance, planning, training and exercise funding to improve interoperable emergency communications.  Projects funded must be integral to interoperable emergency communications and must be aligned with the goals, objectives, and/or initiatives identified in the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (http://isb.wa.gov/committees/siec/WASCIPapproved.pdf). 

  • There is a 50 percent cap on personnel expenses (excludes contract work for deliverable products)
  • Preferences are given to multi-jurisdictional and multi-discipline projects that will enhance interoperable communications governance, planning, training and exercise. 
  • If governance, planning, training and exercise objectives are met, interoperable communications equipment may be requested. 

We expect the grant announcement in early November.  When the grant is announced, state agencies, local and tribal governments will be notified to submit projects for consideration. Although guidance for the 2010 grant will not be released until November 2009, we anticipate the 2010 grant will be similar to the 2009 grant (http://www.fema.gov/governmenta/grant/iecgp/index.shtm). 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Blessing Guillermo
HLS Program Coordinator
(253) 512-7463

IECGP 2008

Grant Awards for the 2008 IECGP were announced September 17, 2008.

IECGP 2009

FY09 IECGP Project Summary for Regional Coordinators Meeting - January 15, 2009
We are pleased to announce that there were sufficient projects to request the full grant amount. An SIEC panel vetted all applications. Preference was given to Priority 1 projects over Priority 2 projects if regional leadership and governance had not been established in the application area. Priority was given to projects that related directly to the SCIP. Preference was given to multi-jurisdictional and multi-discipline projects. Additional preference was given to applications which included letters of support and commitment from benefitting agencies. Applications from all geographic areas in Washington were given equal consideration. Due to the number of proposals and grant priorities, equipment purchases were not requested.

Pending DHS/FEMA approval, the projects on the attached summary will be funded. The summary also provides an overview of the proposed projects.
The 13 local grant requests covered a diverse geographic area and address all of the IECGP Grant Priorities of leadership, governance, planning, training and exercises. Eighty-percent of the grant funding goes to local governments with the remaining twenty percent to the state. Washington State Patrol, as lead agency for the SIEC, proposes to use the state’s portion to develop statewide protocols for the use of interoperable radio channels or gateway systems and to provide assistance and participation an effort to achieve high levels of interoperability between state and local jurisdictions.

2009 IECGP Applications were due December 10, 2009. The SIEC encouraged all local, regional and tribal entities related to enhancing interoperability in Washington State to apply.

IECGP 2009 funds were awarded on July 2, 2009. View the list of grant recipients and project descriptions.

Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant

$19.1 million of available federal grant dollars were awarded to seven projects. A total of nearly $43 million dollars was requested in 23 applications which clearly demonstrates that more funding is needed to establish interoperability. SIEC and SAW members used Homeland Security specified criteria to score the grant applications.


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