Title
Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program (NB)
Explanation
The Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program will provide funding to States and Territories to enable and enhance public safety agencies' interoperable communications capabilities. The PSIC Grant Program is a one-time formula-based, matching grant program intended to enhance interoperable communications with respect to voice, data, and/or video signals. PSIC provides public safety agencies with the opportunity to achieve meaningful and measurable improvements to the state of public safety communications interoperability through the full and efficient use of all telecommunications resources. The Florida Division of Emergency Management acts as the State Administrative Agency for the application for, approval of, contracting for and monitoring of these funds.
The City's funding request will be part of a regional application that will be reviewed and prioritized by the Jacksonville Regional Domestic Security Task Force and the Statewide Interoperable Communications Committee will prioritize all projects approved at the regional level for inclusion into the investment justifications that are part of the State of Florida's application. The City of Gainesville will request portable radios that will replace current out of date units: Gainesville Fire Rescue - 19 and Gainesville Public Works - 3. The total cost for the portable radios is $89,672 and a 20% cash match of $17,934.40 is required. Additionally, the Northeast Florida Regional Council, which the City of Gainesville is included in, will be submitting an application for a regional interoperability project. The intent of this project is to establish a common framework of radio communications infrastructure throughout all 13 counties in Region 3. Region 3 contains one UASI jurisdiction (Duval County/Jacksonville), and multiple significant state universities and college locations. The proposed system is intended to be utilized by all public safety response state holders in all 13 counties throughout Region 3 and beyond. This includes municipal, county, tribal, state and federal entities. This technology would allow for interoperable communications by any public safety agency in the United States with P25 700-800 Mhz capable communications equipment. The objective of this framework is to promote interoperable communications across all public safety disciplines using technology following the Standards Based Shared System element of the Safecom Interoperable Continuum. The required match of $108,000 for this project will be paid through in-kind services by leasing tower space and providing system maintenance. The $108,000 is an Alachua Countywide match and the City of Gainesville will only be responsible for a portion.
Fiscal Note
The required 20% cash match required is $17,934.40. Gainesville Fire Rescue's required match is $15,488.80 and will be paid from GFR's materials and supplies budget; and Gainesville Public Works required match is $2,445.60 and will be paid from the Public Works operating budget. The required match for the regional interoperability project will be paid through in-kind services including leasing of tower space and providing system maintenance.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) approve the request to apply for PSIC funding for portable radios and the City of Gainesville's participation in the regional interoperability project; and 2) authorize the City Manager to execute any grant related documents following review by the City Attorney as to form and legality.