Blunt Awards $2.9 Million for Interoperable Communications Equipment

"We are maximizing the Homeland Security funds by using a competitive initiative to allow more Missouri communities to access these grants," Blunt said. "This federal grant will continue to help law enforcement and first responders communicate with each other on-scene, and relay information to the local emergency operations center."

The grants focused on promoting interoperability and narrow banding for smaller jurisdictions that otherwise would experience difficulty meeting the Federal Communications Commission Narrowband deadline of 2013. The State Homeland Security Advisory Council approved the program funding and directed the State Emergency Management Agency to administer the award process. The recipients were determined using a combination of LETPP/ICGP Peer Review Panel recommendations and scores generated from the application questionnaire.

Local jurisdictions will replace wideband-only portable and mobile radios with narrowband units. Additionally, they agree to program the designated multi-jurisdiction interoperability channels set aside by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) for local public safety use. Based on the recommendations of the State Interoperability Executive Committee the Missouri State Highway Patrol has already secured the appropriate FCC licenses for Missouri.

By implementing these interoperability requirements, agencies responding to a multi-jurisdictional event will have shared channel interoperability as outlined in the National Interoperability Continuum. Almost 200 public safety agencies in Missouri have already agreed to implement these multi-discipline interoperability channels in their radios.

Interoperable Communications Grant Recipients listed by Region:

• Region A (West Missouri): Pettis County Sheriff Department, Concordia Police Department, Odessa Police Department and Lafayette County Sheriff Department.
• Region B (Northeast Missouri): Kirksville Police Department, Randolph County Sheriff Department, Macon County Sheriff Department, Linn County Sheriff Department, Marceline Police Department and Monroe City Police Department.
• Region D (Southwest Missouri): Branson Police Department, Lamar Police Department, Crane Police Department, Carterville Police Department, Nevada Police Department, Diamond Police Department, Barton County Sheriff Department, Sarcoxie Police Department, McDonald County Sheriff Department, Hickory County Sheriff Department, Niangua Police Department, Granby Police Department and Webb City Police Department.
• Region E (Southeast Missouri): Caruthersville Police Department, Stoddard County Sheriff Department, Butler County Sheriff Department, Kennett Police Department, Scott County Sheriff Department, Malden Police Department, Sikeston Department of Public Safety, Pemiscot County Sheriff Department, Portageville Police Department, Arbyrd Police Department, Madison County Sheriff Department, Bernie Police Department, Ripley County Sheriff Department, New Madrid County Sheriff Department, Poplar Bluff Police Department and Hornersville Police Department.
• Region F (Central Missouri): Ashland Police Department, Moniteau County Sheriff Department, Jefferson City Police Department, Montgomery City Police Department, New Franklin Police Department, City of Lincoln Police Department, Hallsville Police Department, Jamestown Police Department, Cole County Sheriff Department and Iberia Police Department.
• Region G (South Central Missouri): West Plains Police Department, Ozark County Sheriff Department, Howell County Sheriff Department, Reynolds County Sheriff Department and Douglas County Sheriff Department.
• Region H (Northwest Missouri): Maryville Police Department, Cameron Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff Department, Braymer Police Department and Stewartsville Police Department.
• Region I (South Central along I-44): Lebanon Police Department, St. Robert Police Department, Waynesville Police Department, Pulaski County Sheriff Department, Laclede County Sheriff Department, Steelville Police Department, St. James Police Department, Crocker Police Department, Conway Police Department and Richland Police Department.

Recently the governor announced that Missouri will receive a $17,465,576 federal aid grant to assist first responders in improving public safety communications and coordination. The federal grant will assist state and local agencies acquire, deploy and train responders in systems designed to use voice, data, and/or video signals.