MT Regional AFG Request Narrative - 2006
Host Applicant: Plevna Volunteer Fire District,
Equipment ($345,600) Awarded 02/09/07
Project Description:
If awarded this Assistance to Firefighters Grant project will
facilitate
the purchase and installation of 7 repeaters, 10 mobile radios, and 80
portable
radios that meet Project 25 standards for public safety communications
and
interoperability. These radios will replace current VHF radios and
repeaters
(many are not narrow band capable) currently used by departments that
have an
average age of over 10 years. More importantly, these radios will allow
volunteer fire service responders of 4 counties (Fallon, Wibaux,
Prairie, and
Carter) to become interoperable with the Eastern Tier Interoperability
Consortium (ETIC) and surrounding first responders in Montana, North
Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Equipment Requested:
7 P25 Repeaters @ $30,300 per unit for a total of $212,100.
10 P25 Mobile Radios @ $5,400 per unit for a total of $54,000.
80 P25 Portable Radios @ $4,600 per unit for total of $368,000.
Regional Assistance to Firefighters Grant application total of
$634,100.
Fire Service Agencies in the 4
Terry Volunteer Fire Department
Prairie County Volunteer Fire Department
Cabin Creek Volunteer Fire District
Fallon Volunteer Fire District
Wibaux Volunteer Fire Department
Plevna Fire Volunteer Fire District (Application Host)
Baker Volunteer Fire District
Baker Volunteer Fire Department
Carter County Volunteer Fire Department
Ekalaka Volunteer Fire Department
Alzada Volunteer Fire Control
Eastern Tier Interoperability Consortium (ETIC):
Eastern Tier Interoperability Consortium¿s (ETIC) goal is to
develop a
multi-agency interoperable communications system between law
enforcement, fire
services, and Emergency Medical Services that will improve coverage and
dependability by upgrading existing radio equipment to Project 25
standards and
coordinating Federal and State stakeholders.
The ETIC, in Eastern Montana, includes
Through the work of the ETIC
(who hired Northrop Grumman to conduct assessment and feasibility
studies) the
4 county dispatch area has been able to identify their interoperable
communication needs. This grant application is intended to address
these needs
and will also help through the installation of the new repeaters to
serve the
needs of the Eastern Tier Interoperability Consortium as a whole. This
will
benefit a vast number of local, state, and federal agencies and will be
an
integral piece of infrastructure in the
Host Applicant:
The host
applicant is the Plevna Volunteer Fire District. The PVFD is located in
Fallon
County Montana and protects 730 square miles with a mutual aid area of
over
8000 square miles. The PVFD protects critical infrastructure in its own
district as well as in its mutual aid area. This includes major natural
gas and
petroleum pipelines as well as critical components of the national
power grid
system. The PVFD provides wildfire, structure fire, rescue, and
Financial Need:
The costs of interfacing with the Eastern Tier Interoperability
Consortium,
upgrading equipment to Project 25 and narrow band standards, and
insuring
interoperability run far beyond the financial capabilities of all 4
counties
fire service agencies involved in this application. This is alarming
given the
forward movement of the ETIC and the State of
Matching funds ($ 31,705) for this grant project have been secured and
provided
by the
Cost-Benefit of Request
The benefits of this grant project have far reaching impact not
only upon
the fire service agencies in the 4 county dispatch area, but also upon
the
Eastern Tier Interoperability Consortium and upon the region that
includes
parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. This project will be
an
integral piece of the interoperable communications system which is
taking shape
in the state of
(7) P25 Repeaters:
The repeaters requested will replace older repeaters which are not up
to P25 or
narrow band standards. With the vast area served by the fire service
agencies
included in the application it becomes apparent that powerful and
reliable
repeaters are vital to communications and to the safety of our first
responders. These repeaters will serve not only the fire service
agencies
involved in this application, but they will also provide a critical
portion of
the infrastructure needs for the Eastern Tier Interoperability
Consortium while
enhancing the interoperability for all first responders which come into
their
range.
(10) P25 Mobile Radios:
While 10 P25 mobile radios will not be enough communications equipment
to equip
all of the fire apparatus in the 4 county area, it will be a start in
that
direction. 10 P25 mobile radios will be adequate to equip the incident
commanders of each department with reliable/interoperable P25
communications
equipment in their command vehicles.
(80) P25 Portable Radios:
80 Portable P25 radios will be enough to equip a substantial number of
fire
service first responders in the 4 county area with updated and reliable
P25
communications equipment. While there are more seated positions/fire
fighters
then the request will provide radios for the effect of these P25
portable
radios will be profound indeed. Some of the current portables in use
are over
20 years old and require duct tape to secure the batteries in place.
The
condition of many current portable radios is a hazard to reliable
communications and to the safety of our first responders. It is
critical that
we begin to replace these radios with P25 interoperable portable
radios.
Conclusion:
If awarded this AFG grant will be a major step forward in
interoperable
communications for the four-county area as well as provide a critical
portion
of the Eastern Tier Interoperability Consortium’s/State of