There seems to be a great deal of confusion concerning the necessity for procuring P25 compatible equipment when using federal grant money. We can't speak for all States, but we can share some information that is applicable in the State of Alabama and possibly elsewhere as well.
For purposes of definition, P25 is an operating standard that is capable of operating on both 25 and 12.5 kHz channel spacing in both an analog of digital mode - not just any digital mode, but SPECIFICALLY P25 - Not MotoTRBO, NXDN or any other digital operating standard - JUST P25, period! Additional information on digital operating systems is available in the Digital Radios section at http://falconinfo.blogspot.com. At the Federal level, all agencies are required to purchase P25 communications equipment only for purposes of maintaining interoperability between agencies as defined by SAFECOM. By extension, any federal funds spent on the purchase of communications equipment at the State, County, or Municipal level would be subject to the same requirement. This is reflected in the 2009 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters grant program. For those who require additional clarification on this subject, we suggest that you (a) review the applicable grant application forms and (b) contact your FEMA representative.
At the State level, the Department of Homeland Security is the primary disbursement agency for federal funds. Each State Homeland Security office is required to prepare a Statewide Communications Interoperability Plan (SCIP) based on Federal standard requirements. Alabama's plan is available at www.dhs.alabama.gov/pdf/Alabama_SCIP_Plan_Final.pdf. It is a fairly large document, but the bottom line is that it clearly states that P25 is the only acceptable operating standard. The following is an excerpt from page 155. "Invoke Project 25 (P25) standards to all relevant statewide and local agencies procurement and use of communications equipment". That seems pretty clear! Alabama's SCIP was prepared in 2007. This would appear to indicate that any communications equipment purchased after that time would be P25 capable only. In the 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant application, the requirement for purchasing only P25 compatible equipment is clearly stated. We would presume this same policy would apply to the purchase of law enforcement communications equipment.
So, what's the point? Simply this. If both Federal and State standards require funding only for P25 equipment and you purchase equipmentthat is not P25 compatible, you are potentially at risk of losing your grant funds even though they have been awarded and spent. Our job is not that of a watchdog or whistle blower. Our job is to do our best to give you the facts necessary to make the right decision in purchasing communications equipment when using federal grant funds. We offer four different P25 offerings on the Alabama State Contract from ICOM, Midland, Motorola, and Relm/BK.
For additional information on the Alabama State Contract and the bidding process, please visit our All About Bidding web page.