Federal funding given to finance advanced communication plan
Alabama received federal approval for a $13.5 million homeland security grant in response to its advanced communications plan for first responders.
Alabama is one of 20 states to receive approval for a communications plan.
“We are very proud of that,” said Charles Murphy, the assistant director of interoperable communications for the Alabama Department of Homeland Security.
The State Interoperable Communications Plan will help the advancement of technology in communications for first responders.
Safety and security for citizens and first responders such as fire and police will be increased when there is an emergency.
Alabama will have the ability to communicate more effectively on the state and local levels.
“When our first responders can’t communicate properly during an emergency, lives could be lost,” Gov. Bob Riley said in a press release. “That’s why Alabama has placed such a huge emphasis on moving forward in helping out first responders with their communications needs. Alabamians should be encouraged and proud that our state is a leader state when it comes to homeland security and public safety.”
At the moment, it will be an option for the local area to choose to have the communications system placed in the county.
Individual counties would have to choose the site where the communications would be placed, and every county will be covered by the plan eventually.
The plan will not have a huge effect on the local levels.
Murphy said a lot of money has been spent on the local level in Alabama for communications, and the plan will enable a more efficient statewide communications system to be implemented.
He also said communication will become easier and more effective on the local and state level and improve communication for first responders.
Communication will also help protect the lives and property of citizens and also the lives of the first responders, Murphy said.
A statewide communications system will be established, the state’s technology reserve will be increased and a communications layer will be completed for Virtual Alabama with the grant funds.
“The development of this plan was a collaborative effort that took over 18 months to define,” Alabama Department of Homeland Security Director Jim Walker said in a press release. “With the federal approval, we can now move on to the hard work of executing the plan so that our first responders have the most effective communications possible.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration approved the state plan.
With the use of this plan, many lives can be saved through a more effective communications system.
