Vermont Communications (VCOMM)

November 06, 2008

VCOMM Priorities

• Lifeline & (9) PSAP updates

• Emergency requests

• Future phases which might include pagers for Fire Service, bases, etc.

• Roll-out of SOPs

• Starting the First Responders along the path of narrow band compatibility to meet the January, 2013 implementation date.

VCOMM Learning Process

• FCC & Industry Canada issues

• Congressional Delegation & LG Dubie assistance

• May, 2008 DC meeting with VCOMM, FCC, Industry Canada, State Department, Vermont’s Congressional Delegates

• On-air testing to find alternate sites/VELCO assist

• Initial count of 32 sites with both UHF & VHF

– After on-air tests count is now 39 UHF and 40 VHF

Emergency Request Summary

Status Number of Requests Amount Requested

Pending 16 $196,287

Need More Information 0 $0

Denied 68 $1,205,525

StatusNumber

of Requests

Funding Source

FY04 FY05 FY06 Total

Approved 160 $2,716 $236,442 $979,201 $1,218,359

Approved Emergency Requests

Discipline Organizations Approved

Law Enforcement(Police, Sheriff and Constable)

25

Emergency Medical Services 20

Fire or Fire/EMS 115

Total Approved 160

PSIC Grant Program

• Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program

• The PSIC grant has a 20% statutory match requirement for all non-planning and non-training costs of the total projected cost of each investment.

– PSIC Emergency Request Guidelines require a 20% hard match from the requesting agency. For every $4 of federal share, there must be a $1 non-federal (local/state) share. For example, a department proposing to spend $10,000 on equipment would have to provide $2,000 in department funding and the PSIC grant would provide the remaining $8,000 in federal funding.

• Vermont received $4,476,761 out of $968,385,000 nationwide to assist public safety agencies in improving the state of the Nation’s interoperable communications

• The PSIC grant must be used for a new or unique component of an existing communications project

• PSIC will NOT support single-agency or single-jurisdiction projects

• A portion of PSIC grant funds will be used in conjunction with FY06, FY07 and FY08 Homeland Security funds to accomplish the Lifeline build-out

• A portion of PSIC grant funds will be used for the Emergency Request Program

VCOMM Funds

Grant / Grant Year

VCOMMAward

Remaining Balance

HSGP / FY06 $7.5M $6.1M

HSGP / FY07 $2.3M $2.3M

HSGP / FY08 $2.66M $2.66M

IECGP $242K Pending Approval

PSIC $4.47M $4.47M

U.S.C.G. $100K $0

Total All Grants $17.2M $15.53M

* $14.2M available for emergency requests & Lifeline contract.

Memorandum of Understanding

• VCOMM has entered into Memorandums of Understanding with the following for the purposes of interoperable communications for local and state emergency responders and other emergency officials:

– Vermont Ambulance Association (signed)

– Vermont Association of Police Chief’s (signed)

– Vermont Career Fire Chief’s Association (signed)

– Vermont Fire Chief’s Association (signed)

– Vermont Sheriff’s Association (signed)

– Vermont State Firefighters Association (signed)

– Vermont Department of Public Safety (signed)

DHART

• V-Tac 4 is the Vermont statewide DHART Landing Zone (LZ) coordination frequency. V-Tac 4 is one of the National Tactical VHF frequencies at 159.4725 MHz with a CTCSS (PL) of 156.7 being implemented into Vermont’s Statewide Interoperable Communications Plan.

• DHART supports this recommendation. It is imperative that each individual agency planning to use V-Tac 4 as the DHART Landing Zone (LZ) coordination frequency, as is highly recommended by VCOMM, contact DHART as soon as your agencies have been reprogrammed with the VCOMM frequencies.

• In speaking with DHART, they recommended using V-Tac 4 for any air to ground operation involving NEAA aircraft, which includes units from other New England States. Any agency that typically uses another air program, the Albany, NY air unit for example, should also notify that air program of the use of V-Tac 4 as the LZ frequency. When that agency makes the change to V-Tac 4 they should be sure that the air unit is also using V-Tac 4 for LZ coordination. 

Standard Operating Procedures

• VCOMM Operations Committee completed draft NIMS Compliant SOPs.

• Draft SOPs are currently posted on the VCOMM web site (www.dps.state.vt.us/vcomm) for first responder feedback.

• The SOPs will be used as an overall guideline throughout Vermont.

• The principle objective of this SOP is to outline delineation of authority, roles and procedures for responders to use when communicating on the national calling and tactical channels.

• It shall be up to each individual agency to develop specific SOPs for their respective agency relative to operational and technical guidelines.

VCOMM Updates

• Frequency reprogramming @ 82%

• National calling & tactical channels are part of the State’s Training & Exercise Plan

• Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP) submitted

• Groundwork laid for partnership with VELCO

Sustainability

• $1.1M anticipated loaded into grants until 2011

• Continued Federal funding to include Congressional Delegates seeking earmarks

• State funding

• VELCO partnership

• User fee system

Questions