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<br />Preparedness Grants Manual | February 2021 23
<br />Ensuring the Protection of Civil Rights
<br />As the Nation works towards achieving the National Preparedness Goal, it is important to continue to
<br />protect the civil rights of individuals. Recipients must carry out their programs and activities, including
<br />those related to the building, sustainment, and delivery of core capabilities, in a manner that respects and
<br />ensures the protection of civil rights for protected populations.
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<br />Federal civil rights statutes, such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title VI of the
<br />Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with FEMA regulations, prohibit discrimination on the basis of race,
<br />color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, limited English proficiency, or economic status in
<br />connection with programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance from FEMA.
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<br />The DHS Standard Terms and Conditions include a fuller list of the civil rights provisions that apply to
<br />recipients. These terms and conditions can be found in the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions.
<br />Additional information on civil rights provisions is available at https://www.fema.gov/office-equal-rights.
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<br />Monitoring and oversight requirements in connection with recipient compliance with federal civil rights
<br />laws are also authorized pursuant to 44 C.F.R Part 7.
<br />FirstNet
<br />The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-96, as amended (codified in
<br />part at 47 U.S.C. §§ 1401-1473) established the First Responder Network Authority (hereinafter FirstNet
<br />Authority) as an independent authority within the National Telecommunications and Information
<br />Administration (NTIA). 47 U.S.C. § 1424(a). The FirstNet Authority’s statutory mission is to establish a
<br />nationwide public safety broadband network (FirstNet). 47 U.S.C. § 1426(b). FirstNet uses the 700 MHz
<br />D block spectrum to provide Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-based broadband services and applications to
<br />public safety entities. 47 U.S.C. §§ 1401(2), 1421(a). FirstNet became operational in March 2018 and is
<br />based on a single, national network architecture that evolves with technological advances and consists of
<br />a physically separate evolved packet core (EPC) network and radio access networks (RANs).
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<br />FirstNet provides public safety entities with mission-critical broadband data capabilities and services
<br />including, but not limited to messaging, image sharing, video streaming, group text, voice, data storage,
<br />application, location-based services, and Quality of Service, Priority, and Preemption. Public safety
<br />entities seeking to enhance their operational capabilities using broadband technology may seek grant
<br />funding from appropriate programs to support the following:
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<br />• Planning for integration of information technology (IT) infrastructure, software, and site upgrades
<br />necessary to connect to FirstNet
<br />• Handheld broadband devices including smartphones, feature phones, tablets, wearables, push-to-
<br />talk (PTT) devices
<br />• Vehicle-mounted or otherwise field operated data devices, such as ruggedized laptops
<br />• Network access devices, including portable Wi-Fi devices, Universal Serial Bus (USB)
<br />modems/dongles, trunk-mounted modems, routers
<br />• Customer-Owned and Managed (COAM) broadband deployable equipment, enabling public
<br />safety to own and dispatch coverage expansion or capacity enhancement equipment within their
<br />jurisdiction
<br />• Broadband device accessories that enable efficient and safe public safety operations such as
<br />headsets, belt clips, earpieces, remote Bluetooth sensors, ruggedized cases
<br />• Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs)/Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) to allow
<br />public safety users to update existing devices to operate on public safety prioritized services.
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