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IEMA
now accepting applications for $36.4 million in grants to public
safety agencies for interoperable communications 
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Grants
will help local and state agencies enhance emergency communications
capabilities with new equipment and training
[October 06, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois
Emergency Management Agency is encouraging law enforcement agencies,
fire departments, emergency management agencies, public health
departments and other public safety organizations to apply for
funding the state of Illinois received from the National
Telecommunications and Information System to help them improve
interoperable communications.
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 "It’s critical during emergencies that first responders have the
ability to communicate with other responders, whether at a disaster
scene itself or throughout an affected region," said IEMA Director
Andrew Velasquez III. "Governor Blagojevich has made interoperable
communications a top priority for public safety, and that’s why
Illinois already has invested nearly $11 million to equip more than
2,000 police, fire, emergency management and public health agencies
with Starcom21 interoperable radios. The grants being offered now
provide an opportunity for local public safety agencies to link to
this statewide communications system."The
Public Safety Interoperable
Communications Grant Program, administered by IEMA, is a
matching grant program intended to increase the usage of Illinois’
interoperable platform and enhance voice-based emergency
communications capabilities. In July, the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security awarded $36.4 million to Illinois to fund local
interoperable communications projects. Of that total, $16.2 million
is earmarked for the Chicago/Cook County Urban Area Security
Initiative area.
To be eligible for funding through the grant program, a public
safety agency must be a state or local government entity or
authorized nongovernmental organization. A public safety agency may
include homeland security, law enforcement, fire and emergency
medical services, among others. Grant rules also require that
applications represent a multijurisdictional, regional group of
public safety agencies. Single-agency applications are ineligible
according to federal grant guidance.
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Each application requesting funds is required to document the
ability to make a 20 percent statutory match for the project. The
match must come from non-federal sources and can be met through cash
or in-kind sources. An agency may only participate in a single
project application.
The application period for the grants began Oct. 1 and ends at
11:59 p.m. on Nov. 9. Applications must be received electronically
by that time to be considered for funding. Approved projects will be
announced in early December. Project work must be completed by July
31, 2010.
More information about the grant program and applications are
available at www.ileas.org.
Questions regarding the program should be directed to Don Kauerauf,
program manager, at 217-557-4831 or
don.kauerauf@illinois.gov.
Technical questions regarding Illinois’ interoperability platform
should be directed to Steven Jackson, communications officer,
Illinois Emergency Management Agency, at 217-557-2746 or
steven.jackson@illinois.gov.
[Text from Illinois
Emergency Management Agency news release received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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