CHIEF Star: Interoperability, Mutual Aid & Grants

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Interoperability, Mutual Aid & Grants

Interoperability and mutual aid are important components in today's public safety grants
Disasters such as 9/11 and Hurricana Katrina have brought to the national forefront the problems that happen when public safety agencies have incompatible equipment. If your agency is applying for grant funds or direct assistance programs such as AFGP or ONDCP, making a focus on interoperability can make your application stand out.

Communication is essential at any incident, but especially when multiple agencies are involved. However, interoperability remains a problem nationwide. The 9/11 Commission Report noted that "interoperability – the ability for emergency responders to communicate with one another during an incident – was a serious problem on 9/11" and that "the lives of first responders and those they are trying to assist can be lost when first responders cannot communicate effectively."

Interoperability saves lives
Whether you call it interoperability or mutual aid, working with other agencies is a given today. Making sure you have compatible SOPs and equipment is a must.

The issue has been so important, that it is a focus of all Department of Homeland Security grant and assistance programs: "The Department of Homeland Security is providing national leadership to a local, state, and federal partnership to ensure interoperability objectives are met in every community across the country."

Make Interoperability & Mutual Aid a Goal of Your Agency & Your Grants
By focusing on efforts that expand your agency's ability to aid other departments, you can write stronger grant applications. This will bring in funding or equipment that then helps you free up other budget monies. Get with your board, your superiors or your municipality. Develop a strategy and identify where your mutual aid needs are strongest. Then identify programs that can help you meet those mutual aid and interoperability goals.

More on Interoperability & Mutual Aid

   • Senate Bill Funds Interoperability Grants - Firehouse.com Technology & Communications
   • A Failure to Communicate: A Stocktake of Government Inaction to Address Communications Interoperability Failures Following Hurricane Katrina (Adobe PDF)
   • Police Communication Interoperability
   • DHS | Department of Homeland Security | Fact Sheet: Achieving First Responder Communications Interoperability – a Local, State, and Federal Partnership
   • Fire Communication Interoperability

Grant Help & Gear from CHIEF
For help with interoperability and government grants, visit CHIEF Grants for open grants, NIMS compliance information, research info, and free help from our expert public safety grant consultants, Kurt Bradley and Margaret Stark.

Are you looking for equipment that will further your department's interoperability and mutual aid efforts? Up-to-date turnout gear and body armor are good places to start. Radio systems (and two-way radio batteries) are a common way to make mutual aid improvements too. If you need help with bids, quotes or equipment recommendations, call us: (800) 824-4338.

Wildland Update

"Drought Spurs National Fears Of Active Wildfire Season" - CNN.com/ Firehouse.com
The first three months of 2006 have been hot ones for wildland firefighters nationwide, with over 17,000 wildfires burning 1.5 million-plus acres across the U.S.A. Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico have been hard-hit, and industry experts say the Southwest and Great Plains states are expected to be especially fire-prone over the next few months.

Our thoughts go out to those evacuated, and to all those who fought and are fighting the fires.

Gear up for the Fireline
This news is a reminder that wildland firefighting season has arrived. Are you ready? Is your crew ready? Stock up with the equipment you need: call us at (800) 824-4338, see our wildland firefighting selection online, and save with our April Wildland Promos.

If you have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, you'll find our Wildland Firefighting Gear selection on pages 210-219. If you don't have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, request your copy today.

Apply for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) by Apr. 18

Submit Your BVP Applications for Help with Body Armor Purchasing
The Dept. of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program can help your law enforcement agency replace body armor, but only if you submit your application by Apr. 18, 2006.

BVP helps law enforcement agencies add new vests to growing departments, as well as replace old vests. A list of vest models that comply with the program's requirements can be found at the BVP website, www.justnet.org. For help with your BVP application, contact our Law Enforcement Grants Consultant, Margaret Stark.

If you have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, you'll find our Body Armor selection on pages 48-72. If you don't have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, request your copy today.

Apply for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP) by Apr. 7

Don't Miss the U.S.'s Largest Pool of Federal Grant Funding for Fire Departments & EMS Agencies
$655,000,000 is available under this year's AFGP. Have you applied yet? Applications are due by Apr. 7. All fire departments and non-affiliated, not-for-profit EMS agencies are eligible to apply.

Eligible activities or procurements include Fire or EMS Operations and Safety Programs; Vehicles; Training; Equipment; Personal Protective Equipment; Wellness and Fitness Activities; and Minor Modifications to Stations and Facilities. This program helps departments urban and rural, large and small, nationwide.

For help with your AFGP application, see our CHIEF Grants AFGP Resource Center.

Atlantic City CHIEF Grants Seminar, June 22-23

$50 Early-Bird Savings Still Available
The Resorts Atlantic City Hotel in New Jersey is your June conference center for our first CHIEF Grants Seminar of the 2006-2007 season. Beginning- to intermediate-level grant writers, get the training you need for grant strategy and grant application preparedness for 2006 and beyond!

A CHIEF Grants Seminar is one of the best investments your agency can make, with two days of focused, public safety grant-writing training that can bring tens of thousands of dollars to your department.

Learn more, register & see our full 2006-2007 Seminar Schedule »

Visit CHIEF at FDIC, Apr. 24-29, Indianapolis

"It's not your ordinary training event"
Ever wonder what it's like to be surrounded by 25,000 of your fellow firefighters? To participate in hands-on training with the top instructors in the country? To learn the latest techniques and issues facing the fire industry in hard-hitting classrooms? How about celebrating the tradition, brotherhood and lives of fallen heroes while the sounds of bagpipes fill the room?

If so, then it's time for you to head to this year's FDIC, Apr. 24-29 in Indianapolis, IN. Be sure to visit CHIEF at booth number 5375, we can't wait to meet you.

Learn more about FDIC »

Free Structural Turnout Coat Personalization
Through Apr. 30, we're offering our FDIC visitors and CHIEF customers one free line of personalization on any structural turnout coat we carry! For details and to order, see our turnout selection on our website, and call (800) 824-4338.

If you have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, you'll find our Turnout Gear selection on pages 174-180. If you don't have a CHIEF Buyer's Guide, request your copy today.

Free Line of Personalization applies only to structural turnout coats from Quest, Fire-Dex and Morning Pride. Offer does not apply to Wildland, Extrication or Proximity gear. Offer expires Apr. 30. Phone orders and FDIC orders only.

Grant News By Kurt Bradley, CHIEF Grants Consultant

Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP)
(Deadline Apr. 7, 2006, 5:00 p.m. EST)
The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is the largest pool of federal grant funding available to the nation's fire departments and EMS agencies... More

Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFCSP) Grants
(Deadline Apr. 10, 2006)
The DFCSP has two major goals: reduce substance abuse among youth and adults, and establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, State, local and tribal governments to support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth... More

Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP)
(Deadline Apr. 18, 2006, 8:00 p.m. EST)
Purchase body armor/ bulletproof vests for law enforcement/ corrections officers, replace old body armor and outfit more officers, with this popular grant program from the Dept. of Justice... More

ATF Canines
(Deadline Ongoing)
State or Local Law Enforcement Agencies can acquire accelerant-detecting canines, plus assistance for Bombing and Arson, Canine Training, Licenses, Programs, Research and Response Team... More

ILook Investigator Forensic Software
(Deadline Ongoing)
The ILook Investigator Forensic Software is a comprehensive suite of computer forensics tools used to acquire and analyze digital media, provided at no cost for qualifying users... More

Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Awards
See FP & S grantees... See FP & S Awardees

CEDAP Phase II Awards Expected in Early April
(From CHIEF Grants, Mar. 15, 2006)
According to the Responder Knowledge Base, the award period for CEDAP Phase II is expected to begin in early April, 2006.

The NIMS Integration Center's Top Five Most Frequently Asked Questions
(From NIMS Integration Center, Mar. 7, 2006)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's NIMS Integration Center answers the 5 questions they get asked most often, which primarily focus on required NIMS training, lost or delayed NIMS/ ICS training certifications from the Emergency Management Institute, and NIMCAST temporary passwords... More

DHS Announces the Release of the 2006 AFG Applicant Tutorial
(From DHS, Mar. 6, 2006)
The 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Applicant Tutorial is available for viewing at the grant support Web site... More

FEMA's NIMS Integration Center and IAFC Launch Intrastate Mutual Aid Project
(From NIMS Integration Center, Mar. 3, 2006)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s NIMS Integration Center and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) have launched an initiative to develop a National Fire Service Intrastate Mutual Aid System (IMAS) that will tie local fire districts and departments into statewide mutual aid networks and support implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)... More

DHS Announces Application Period for FY2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
(From DHS, Mar. 3, 2006)
The 2006 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFGP) opens for applications on Mon., Mar. 6, 2006. The application deadline is Apr. 7, 2006, at 5 p.m. EDT... More