Warner Announces Grants to Upgrade Virginia's First Responder Radio Systems

Governor Mark R. Warner yesterday announced that Virginia is allocating $2.16 million in federal funding to 27 localities to support local interoperable communications projects and initiatives. This funding was awarded to Virginia by the federal Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and will be received by the localities in the coming two weeks.

"Virginia has been a national leader in coordinating state and local efforts to improve interoperability," said Warner. "In a business where seconds count, these funds will help provide better communications systems for our first responders saving lives every day."

The State Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) evaluated 62 local grant proposals that competed for up to $100,000 each, which includes 20 grant proposals that will be funded through a $1.7 million award from ODP. The Executive Committee also identified eight localities to receive a total of $460,000 in funding from the NIJ for local interoperability demonstration projects.

"The Interoperability Committee developed a standard evaluation criteria and did a good job of evaluating all proposals and identifying the best requests," said Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator Chris Essid. "We wish we had more funding to distribute and will continue to work to identify additional funds to assist localities with their interoperability needs," said SIEC Chair Charles Werner, who also serves as a deputy fire chief from Charlottesville.

The 20 grant proposals that were awarded funding from the ODP award are:

• Alleghany County: $20,000
• Amelia County:$100,000
• Augusta County: $100,000
• Botetourt County:$37,540
• Colonial Heights: $97,825
• Craig County: $99,350
• Danville:$99,250
• Greensville County: $100,000
• Hampton: $100,000
• Isle of Wight County: $100,000
• Northumberland County: $57,900
• Orange County: $100,000
• Page County: $98,800
• Petersburg: $96,420
• Powhatan County: $97,600
• Pulaski County: $100,000
• Roanoke City: $65,000
• Roanoke County: $30,000
• Rockingham County: $100,000
• Williamsburg: $100,000

Additionally, three demonstration projects were funded by the award from the NIJ. In this set of grants, Stafford County, King George County, and the cities of Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg will receive $75,000 each to develop the regional Rappahannock Criminal Justice Information Network, which will expand regional wireless capabilities to law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services. Also, Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg will jointly receive $100,000 to support a portion of a multi-million dollar project to build a regional 800 MHz communication system. And the City of Winchester and Frederick County will jointly receive $60,500 for Phase 1 of the Shenandoah Valley Regional E-Safety Network, which will use an open architecture design to provide data interoperability.

Virginia's interoperability efforts have been recognized by the Department of Homeland Security's SAFECOM, the federal entity charged with improving radio communication among first responders nationwide, as a best practices model.

The grant funds will support the overall goals and initiatives in the Statewide Interoperable Communications Plan which was a result of six regional focus groups involving 39 localities, state agencies, and first responders, and including law enforcement, fire, EMS, public health, and emergency management personnel.