Phase 2 of FirstNet Planning Grants Will Support 12 States

The second round of FirstNet planning grants will be awarded to 12 states, and provide funds for the further development, expansion and fine-tuning of public safety interoperability communication efforts.

The National Telecommunication and Information Administration announced the recipients of the second round of State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP). Phase two of the FirstNet planning grants will be awarded to 12 areas, including:

• Alaska Department of Public Safety: $200,000
• Georgia Emergency Management Agency: $407,102
• Idaho Military Division: $250,000
• Kansas Adjutant Genera’s Department: $250,000
• Commonwealth of Kentucky, Finance Cabinet: $250,000
• Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services: $249,960
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security: $250,000
• Nebraska Department of Administrative Services: $250,000
• New Mexico Department of Information Technology: $250,000
• Pennsylvania State Police: $425,000
• Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security: $250,000

Grant funds are expected to be dispersed starting in December, according to the NTIA.

During the first phase of the FirstNet planning grants program, NTIA awarded $116.5 million to 54 U.S. states and territories, which helped lay the groundwork for the communication effort. The first round of grants allowed recipients to engage public safety stakeholders and collect data to determine final design and buildout plans.

After closing out the initial grant period, a reflection report determined there were three areas that could be improved upon:

• Outreach and stakeholder engagement
• Significance of governance structures
• Importance of dedication SLIGP-funded staff to NPSBN planning

Building upon those takeaways, with the second round of grants, recipients can begin to develop data sharing agreements, transition public safety applications to FirstNet and analyze coverage gaps.