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<br />Attachment A <br /> <br />FYQS HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM <br /> <br />Issues surrounding interoperable communications were consistent themes in <br />assessment data and homeland security strategies recently submitted to OOP by states <br />and urban areas. In an effort to address these issues, many states have been proactive <br />in developing statewide strategies or plans specific to the challenges of interoperable <br />communications. In addition, ten urban areas recently participated in RapidCom 9/30, a <br />program implemented in FY04 to help ensure that incident commanders in these <br />localities have the ability to adequately communicate with each other and their <br />respective command centers within one hour of an incident. <br /> <br />Building on these successes, each urban area receiving FY05 UASI funds must <br />develop a plan to achieve tactical interoperable communications across <br />jurisdictions in the urban area and test the plan through the cycle of exercise <br />activity required for the lED scenario. Each state that does not have a designated <br />urban area(s), it must use the same multi-jurisdictional metropolitan area or region <br />designated to test the prevention and response plans discussed in Section C: HSPD-8 <br />Implementation / Preventing and Preparing for Terrorist Attacks Involving Improvised <br />Explosive Devices on page 49. For the purposes of this requirement, tactical <br />interoperable communications is defined as the rapid provision of on-scene, incident- <br />based mission critical voice communications among all first-responder (EMS, fire and <br />law enforcement) agencies, as appropriate for the incident, and in support of Incident <br />Command and Operations Section personnel as defined in the NIMS model. <br /> <br />Tactical interoperable communications may be provided through the use of common <br />equipment (common channels, cached radios or shared systems) or a gateway <br />between dissimilar systems andlor radio frequency bands; it may use fixed andlor <br />mobilelportable solution(s). Tactical interoperable communications must be rapidly <br />deployable at any time (24/7), and should be fully operational within an hour of an <br />incident occurring. The state andlor urban area must become familiar with the features <br />and problems that are inherent with the solution(s) they choose. Finally, no technical <br />solution will work without trained support staff. The state andlor urban area must ensure <br />that sufficient personnel are trained as Communications Unit Leaders, as defined within <br />the NIMS, to support equipment deployment. <br /> <br />Similar to the IEO requirement, OOP will release specific guidance on the tactical <br />interoperable communications requirement in concert with the SAFECOM Program <br />Office and the release of the National Planning Guidance in March 2005. Grantees will <br />have six months from the release of the guidance to develOp the tactical interoperable <br />communications plan based on the template provided by OOP and developed with <br />SAFE COM. In order to make the most effective use of funding, tactical interoperable <br />communications plans should always be in support of long-term interoperability by <br />building upon or accelerating long-term strategies and efforts. The UASI jurisdictions <br />that developed plans as part of their participation in the RapidCom 9/30 initiative will <br />need to submit the plan developed as part of that process and validate that plan through <br />the exercise requirement. These communications plans should take into account the <br />State Homeland Security Strategies and Urban Area Homeland Security Strategies that <br />have been submitted and are currently being implemented. Grantees will have one <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY I OFFICE FOR DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS <br />51 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />