Presenters: Robert “Dusty” Rhoads, John Rockwell, Penny Rubow, GE McCabe

Currently, many radio systems are nearing end of life, yet the equipment purchased with once-abundant grant funds now needs to be replaced and upgraded to current technology. The Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) grant program awarded over $1 billion to many public safety agencies, with approximately 90 percent of the funds being spent on equipment. Now, 10 years later, the equipment is in need of replacement to ensure service levels and to ensure that agencies are capable of interoperability. The lack of current grant funding for public safety radio systems has agencies struggling to find alternative funding mechanisms for rapidly declining equipment.

Robert “Dusty” Rhoads with the DHS Office of Emergency Communications stated, “Grant funding is declining; we are having to do more with less.”

States like Alaska, Arkansas and West Virginia have begun to implement statewide interoperability radio systems but still face funding hurdles. Groups of stakeholders have worked with federal government officials through the SAFECOM/NCWIC Funding and Sustainment Committee to develop guidelines and resources to assist public safety in educating decision makers on issues impacting public safety communications. Individually, these states have also looked at alternative sources of funding and all continue to work with state legislative leaders.

All panelists agreed on the need to work together toward interoperability, to plan for technology needs such as P25, FirstNet and T-Band, to plan life-cycle replacement from the beginning of the project and include funding needs for sustainment and enhancement and continue to work with stakeholders and educate decision makers in each state to find alternative funding mechanisms for radio systems.