Proposals are due April 27, 2020.
04102020_bayrics_rfp_legal_services.pdf |
BayRICS |
|
BayRICS seeks a law firm, law office, or attorney to provide general counsel services to the Authority. Please download the RFP below. Proposals are due April 27, 2020.
0 Comments
Below BayRICS members and friends will find a letter containing a summary of FY 2020 DHS Preparedness Grant Programs. CISA prepares this summary for stakeholders to assist in developing proposals that align with DHS funding priorities for emergency communications. Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to read this summary and the SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants before submitting emergency communications proposals for funding. CISA recommends stakeholders closely review the key changes, as there are several modifications from past fiscal years. The table at the end lists each grant and its priorities and eligible work and equipment. Many opportunities outlined here will be of interest to BayRICS member agencies.
On Wednesday, February 19, the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association hosted the "Using Federal Grants To Fund FirstNet Projects" webinar. Understanding the process and requirements for federal grants can be complex. In this webinar, guidance was provided on available grants for FirstNet communications projects, understanding the process of grant application development, the grant cycle, and other vital resources and steps needed in applying for grants. The recording of the webinar can be viewed here.
Augmented reality (AR) has been around for decades, but recent technological advances render it invaluable to improving public safety operations. In NIST's Public Safety Communications Research Division's (PSCR) upcoming webinar, UI/UX lead Scott Ledgerwood dives into AR's potential role in supporting first responders' operations. The webinar takes place Thursday, February 27, 2020 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (MT). Register here.
On January 27, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report noting that AT&T is meeting—or on track to meet—all nationwide, contractual network coverage and usage (adoption) milestones for the FirstNet public-safety broadband network. GAO also found that FirstNet lacked (1) a reliable master schedule to review, (2) communication with relevant stakeholders regarding contract oversight, and (3) meaningful information on end-users' satisfaction to gauge performance quality. You can review the GAO report here.
The SAFECOM Next Generation 911 (NG911) Working Group shares the recent SAFECOM blog post highlighting the release of its NG911 Self-Assessment Tool. This easy-to-use checklist establishes a common terminology and identifies key milestones to help 911 call centers understand the multi-year NG911 implementation process. The Tool is a downloadable Microsoft Excel file, which ensures that collected results are only shared with the agency completing the assessment. The Tool is now live on 911.gov.
Tyrell Morris, Executive Director, Orleans Parish Communication District, and NG911 Working Group member, presented on the Tool during the National 911 Program’s State of 911 Webinar Series on January 14. Click here to view a full recording of the presentation. As I begin my first full month as the new General Manager for the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority (BayRICS), I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to all of you – the radio operators, IT managers, public safety professionals, and other stakeholders that work tirelessly to ensure our community’s law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS professionals can communicate and share information effectively and across jurisdictional boundaries, when necessary and as authorized. BayRICS and its Board of Directors play a unique role in our region’s complex communications landscape: from convening the Regional Radio Operators Advisory Group and overseeing regional interoperability guidelines, to representing the region’s needs on state and federal committees, to monitoring public safety communications technology advances, like FirstNet, and providing advice to regional decision makers. I’m excited to continue and expand these efforts. I’ve spent most of my career working on public safety technology policy and governance issues, most recently as a Regional Project Manager at the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), focusing on interoperable communications, emergency alerting systems, and cybersecurity. Prior to my time at the UASI, I was a program management consultant at the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program in Boulder, Colorado, where I worked on issues surrounding Project 25 standardization, testing and evaluation of next generation public safety communications technology, and early research and development on broadband for first responders. At BayRICS, I look forward to overseeing the implementation of the Board’s newly developed five-year strategic plan, which I will detail in a future blog post. Over the next months, I will be identifying opportunities to better serve our members, to expand BayRICS’ outreach promoting regional interoperability, and to effectively share information on and advocate for your needs related to public safety broadband and FirstNet. I thank the BayRICS Board of Directors for selecting me for this exciting, if challenging, position. I am also especially grateful to BayRICS’ long-time General Manager Barry Fraser, who is gracious enough to delay his well-earned retirement and remain with BayRICS through the fall to support this transition. I’m inspired by the work you all do, and look forward to our collaboration. I will keep you updated on BayRICS and regional communications issues through this blog. And my door is open – please reach out and let me know how BayRICS can better serve you! My contact information is below. Sincerely, Corey Reynolds
General Manager BayRICS Authority corey.reynolds@bayrics.net Office: 925.803.7882 | Cell: 510.529.9797 In 2012, Congress created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). FirstNet is charged with creating a nationwide wireless broadband network for public safety that will use "Long Term Evolution" (LTE) technology standards, similar to existing commercial broadband wireless networks.
Kevin Nida, FirstNet Lead for our FEMA Region IX, will be in San Jose August 14, 2018 at 1:30 PM to present an informational session to public safety stakeholders interested in learning more about FirstNet and how agencies might benefit from the new system (FirstNet) under development. Who: Public Safety Stakeholders using Mission Critical Broadband (Cellular) What: First Net Authority Presentation by Kevin Nida, FEMA Region IX Lead When: August 14, 2018; 1330-1530 Where: Santa Clara County Sheriffs Auditorium 55 W. Younger Ave. San Jose, CA 95110 Why: Raise awareness of FirstNet features and capabilities Realizing it is short notice, please RSVP to Andy Smith <andy.smith@sanjoseca.gov> if you can attend. Please contact Andy with any questions. Feel free to forward this information to anyone in your organization or group that might have interest in the presentation. On July 5, BayRICS submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) supporting keeping the 4.9 GHz spectrum band reserved exclusively for public safety use. The FCC has requested comments on a plan to potentially open up this band to non-public safety uses, including commercial wireless use, based on the assumption that the band has been underutilized by public safety. The 4.9 GHz band has been reserved exclusively for public safety use since 2002.
BayRICS research indicated that 58 active licenses for use of the band have been issued by the FCC in the Bay Area, and that several agencies are using the band regularly. BayRICS provided the FCC with several examples of ways the band is actively used, from Sonoma County, San Mateo County Santa Clara County, Solano County and from San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). BayRICS then stated that, while it took no formal position on many of the changes proposed by the FCC, it urged consideration of the following points:
The California First Responder Network Authority (CalFRN) held its quarterly meeting on June 13 in Sacramento. BayRICS General Manager and CalFRN Director Barry Fraser attended the meeting, representing the San Francisco Bay Area.
After Chair Pat Mallon called the meeting to order, the Board heard reports from FirstNet and AT&T on progress of FirstNet in California. Adam Geisler, FirstNet Regional Tribal Government Liaison, announced that FirstNet pricing is now available on a number of contract vehicles, such as NASPO, GSA and others. Local agencies are also free to negotiate a contract directly with AT&T/FirstNet. A CALNET contract for state agencies is currently still being negotiated. Mr. Geisler also reported on FirstNet outreach and meetings with the Native American Tribes in California. Next, Scott Andrews from AT&T reported on AT&T’s progress over the five months since California opted-in on December 28, 2017. Mr. Andrews reported that (as of June 13) 97 “Band 14” LTE sites are on air, and another 324 sites are in construction. Band 14 is the spectrum allocated by Congress to FirstNet specifically for public safety broadband. Most of the Band 14 sites are upgrades to existing radio sites. Mr. Andrews also reported that 13 new radio sites are on air and another 34 are in construction. These new sites may support a variety of spectrum bands for commercial and public safety use. Mr. Andrews told the Board that AT&T will begin making significant efforts to partner with state and local agencies on ways to share public safety infrastructure and have assigned an individual to handle that responsibility in California. Mr. Andrews also reported that the AT&T public safety core is now operational, the FirstNet “App Store” has over 20 public safety applications available, and that the LA-RICS early build system is on track to close and be handed over to AT&T later in June. Finally, Mr. Andrews stated that as of June 13, there were 62 agencies and 4,279 subscribers that have signed up with FirstNet in the five months since opt-in. Next, Budge Currier from CalOES provided a report on Broadband Services in California, including an update on the CALNET state procurement contract negotiations. Although local agencies can directly negotiate with AT&T, or rely on other contracts such as NASPO, these other contract vehicles do not meet California state agency needs. CalOES is working with California Department of Technology and AT&T to define key elements for a CALNET state procurement contract. Mr. Currier provided a timeline that indicated a possible July completion date for the CALNET agreement. Mr. Currier also reported briefly on activities of the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), followed by a report from Barry Fraser on the FirstNet Public Safety Advisory Committee. The CalFRN meeting agenda, CalOES presentation and link to a video of the meeting are available at this link: http://www.caloes.ca.gov/for-individuals-families/firstnet-in-california. The next CalFRN meeting is scheduled for Wednesday September 20 at 1:00 PM in Sacramento. |
News and AnnouncementsBayRICS and Public Safety Communications News Digest Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|