Funding and Sustainment

These resources are available to help state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to identify available funding sources, plan emergency communications projects for federal grants, and inform decision-makers on the importance of funding and sustaining public safety communications systems.

Emergency Communications Grant Guidance

FY 2023 SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants (.pdf, 1.68 MB)
This document is updated annually to provide current information on national policies, eligible costs, best practices, and technical standards for state, local, tribal, and territorial grant recipients investing federal funds in emergency communications projects.

• SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants Fact Sheet (.pdf, 397.55 KB)
  This fact sheet provides an overview of the SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants, including its six recommended investment priorities.
• SAFECOM Guidance Frequently Asked Questions: Understanding P25 Standards and Compliance (.pdf, 283.77 KB)
  This document provides public safety agencies and grant applicants with information on Project 25 (P25) standards and compliance. 

Roadmap to the Envisioned State of Emergency Communications (.pdf, 776.12 KB)
This roadmap outlines key considerations of converging emergency communications initiatives, including systems, technology and policy. It is an educational tool and resource for program managers and grant applicants, which outlines issues and steps towards realizing the National Emergency Communications Plan's vision.

Sustaining Public Safety Communications Systems

Contingency Considerations When Facing Reductions in Emergency Communications Budgets (.pdf, 303.58 KB)
This fact sheet provides a series of contingency considerations to justify investment in four mission-critical resource categories: personnel, operating costs, equipment, and software.

Contingency Planning Guide for Emergency Communications Funding (.pdf, 995.95 KB)
This guide provides a comprehensive look at the considerations public safety officials must weigh when planning for or facing budget reductions and recommends actions to take before, during, and after budget cuts.

Emergency Communications System Lifecycle Planning Guide (.pdf, 2.15 MB)
This Lifecycle Guide is intended to be a high-level review of the considerations relevant to each step of the system lifecycle and is based on a Technology Lifecycle Management (TLM) model. The guide considers relevant emergency communications lifecycle planning documents, as well as industry best practices for lifecycle planning methodologies, such as Closed Loop Lifecycle Planning, System Development Lifecycle, and TLM.

• Emergency Communications System Lifecycle Planning Guide Compendium: Best Practices, Considerations and Recommended Checklist (.pdf, 2.09 MB)
  This compendium to the Lifecycle Guide assists stakeholders in their efforts to fund, plan, procure, implement, support, and maintain public safety communications systems, and eventually to replace and dispose of system components.
• Emergency Communications System Lifecycle Planning Guide Fact Sheet (.pdf, 666.39 KB)
  This fact sheet provides an overview of the Emergency Communications System Lifecycle Planning Guide.
• Life Cycle Planning Tool (.pdf, 42.77 KB)
  This companion document to the Lifecycle Guide provides a template for public safety agencies to complete when considering funding during each phase of the system lifecycle.

Emergency Communications Systems Value Analysis Guide (.pdf, 1.74 MB)
This guide is designed to help public safety agencies evaluate the cost-effectiveness of emergency communications systems components (e.g., infrastructure, fixed station equipment, devices, accessories, features, software and data storage). The guide provides recommendations, best practices, and a Value Analysis Checklist to assist agencies in making these decisions.

• Understanding the Value of Public Safety Communications Systems: A Brochure for Elected Officials and Decision-Makers (.pdf, 1.25 MB)
  This accompanying brochure provides key considerations and trade-offs between the cost and value of communications systems components. The brochure serves as a leave-behind for decision-makers to better understand public safety requirements and solutions aligned with their strategic goals, while allowing agencies to save costs where possible.

Funding Mechanisms Guide for Public Safety Communications (.pdf, 1.25 MB)
This guide is designed to assist public safety agencies in identifying funding sources (e.g., bonds, special taxes, surcharges) for emergency communications projects. The resource highlights strengths, challenges, opportunities, and other considerations for each funding mechanism to help agencies determine if the strategy is suitable for their community.

Interoperability Business Case: An Introduction to Ongoing Local Funding (.pdf, 854.44 KB)
This document advises the public safety community on the elements needed to build a compelling business case for funding interoperable communications projects.

Funding and Sustaining Land Mobile Radio (LMR): Materials for Decision-Makers 

These documents provide an overview of radio systems, including information on their importance to public safety communications, as well as challenges to consider when upgrading systems.

• Funding and Sustaining LMR Trio, Part 1: Educating Decision-Makers on LMR Fundamentals, (.pdf, 613.47 KB)
  This document includes information on basic LMR system components such as simple diagrams, terminology, history, and current usage of LMR technologies by public safety agencies.
• Funding and Sustaining LMR Trio, Part 2: Educating Decision-Makers on LMR Technology Issues (.pdf, 468.67 KB) 
  This document provides information about emerging technologies and the impact such technologies will have on LMR systems as they evolve. Information includes the LMR-to-LTE transition, and the need to sustain mission-critical voice through such transitions.
• Funding and Sustaining LMR Trio, Part 3: Educating Project and Acquisition Managers on Project 25 (.pdf, 287.67 KB)
  This document delivers an introduction to standards-based purchasing, and an overview of the P25 standard explaining its importance to public safety interoperability.
• Funding and Sustaining LMR Systems Brochure (.pdf, 252.5 KB) 
  This serves as a tri-fold handout for state, local, tribal, and territorial government decision-makers and elected officials to explain the importance of funding and sustaining public safety radio systems.
• Promoting the Importance of Funding and Sustaining LMR Action Memorandum (.pdf, 165.12 KB)
  This action memorandum from SAFECOM and NCSWIC urges decision-makers to support the funding and sustainment of LMR systems. To help decision-makers justify these purchases, the memorandum summarizes best practices from the LMR Trio and provides a list of resources for more information.

Interoperability Business Case: An Introduction to Ongoing Local Funding (.pdf, 645.26 KB)
This document advises the public safety community on the elements needed to build a strong business case to demonstrate the need for funding interoperable communications.