Potential 9-1-1 Grant Funding Available …
Availability of adequate funding to operate and enhance today’s 9-1-1 centers is a common concern for many communities across the nation. Working with our federal partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National 911 Program has identified potential opportunities for 9-1-1 systems to access new or different funding sources. FEMA has undertaken a number of initiatives to provide State and local grantees with additional flexibility to accelerate the expenditure of remaining FEMA grant funds for FY2007 – 2011. As explained in the Guidance to State Administration Agencies to Expedite the Expenditure of Certain DHS/FEMA Grant Funding memo released on February 13, FEMA has developed measures to support grantee efforts that put the funding to work quickly by reprioritizing funds and considering waiver requests. State 9-1-1 Offices and local PSAPs, as grant sub-recipients, should contact their State Administrative Agency (SAA) in order to find out more about available funding and maximize usage of these dollars for the benefit of 9-1-1.
As of January 2012, nearly $8.3 billion in previously awarded FEMA grant funding is available for expenditure. This money is spread across nearly 15 grant programs, over a third of which can likely be leveraged by the 9-1-1 community. The key grant programs of most interest to 9-1-1 stakeholders include—
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant Programs
- Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
- Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP)
- Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP)
- Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)
There is a short time frame on some of these grant funds and some require immediate action. FEMA will reclaim all funds that have not been spent by the deadline. The timeline is as follows:
- All FY07 funds must be spent by June 30, 2012
- All FY08 and FY09 funds must be spent by September 30, 2012
- All FY10 funds must be spent by September 30, 2013
- All FY11 and FY12 funds must be spent by the end date cited on the award agreement
It is important to act quickly to take advantage of the short-term funding from FY07, FY08, and FY09.
The first step is to reach out to your SAA. They will have all of the relevant grant-related information as it pertains to individual states (e.g., award values, applicable waivers, additional grant guidance). A listing of SAAs for all States and Territories can be found here.
Once available funds are determined, it is important to read through the grant guidance materials for the applicable programs and fiscal years and through the Responder Knowledge Base to determine allowable costs. Additional information can be found in the FY2012 SAFECOM Grant Guidance, which, for the first time, includes Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) technology and systems as allowable costs, placing 9-1-1 programs in a stronger position to apply for these grants.
The National 911 Program recognizes the importance of Federal grant availability for the 9-1-1 community, making it essential that State and local 9-1-1 stakeholders engage their SAA and determine how best to access these available funds. Even if these FEMA grant programs are currently not an option for your organization, developing relationships with the SAA could be helpful in future efforts.
About the National 9-1-1 Program
The mission of the National 911 Program is to provide Federal leadership and coordination in supporting and promoting optimal 9-1-1 services. For more information about the National 911 Program, please visit us on our website at www.911.gov or email us at [email protected].
