Interoperable Communications Vendor Information

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The Alabama Department of Homeland Security (ALDHS) is the administering Agency for the Public Safety Interoperable (PSIC) Grant.  ALDHS will coordinate with the State Executive Interoperable Committee to establish a Technical Subcommittee that will review current technology and develop specifications for needed communications equipment.  Click here to download a copy of the Alabama State Interoperable Communications Plan.  (Note this file is very large and may take some time to download.)

The lack of interoperable communications continues to be a serious, pressing public safety problem that severely undermines the ability of first responders to operate effectively during emergencies.  The impact of September 11, 2001, and the recent events of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, underlines the urgent need for public safety departments and other emergency response agencies, to communicate reliably and effectively with one another when called on in a crisis.  Federal, state, tribal and local governments are making progress towards improved communications systems; however, there is much to be done to build collaboration and planning for disaster communications.

To achieve interoperability, public officials must continue to address the following:

• Incompatible and aging communications equipment
• Limited and fragmented funding
• Limited and fragmented planning
• Lack of coordination and cooperation

Governments at all levels play a critical role in meeting each of these challenges.  They can provide the leadership to create statewide, regional and local communication interoperability capacity. 

Alabama’s leadership will benefit most effectively by employing the following strategies:

• Implementing a governance structure that fosters collaborative planning among local, tribal, state, and federal government agencies
• Encouraging developing flexible and open architecture and standards
• Supporting funding for public safety agencies that work to achieve interoperability, and denying funding for agencies that do not include interoperable solutions

If you are a vendor of a homeland security product or service and you would like to discuss your offerings with our office, please provide the answers to the following questions.  Keep your responses as clear and concise as possible.  This will help us to establish our level of interest and better guide you to those agencies that are responsible for procurement.

Please send the completed questionnaire to communications@dhs.alabama.gov.

Questions:

• What requirement does your product or service fulfill?
• What is the precise need to which you are responding?
• Who are your customers?  (e.g., state or local government, private sector, non-profit organizations)
• What other states or jurisdictions use your product?
• Please describe briefly if your product or service is useful for daily operations or if it is for counter-terrorism only.
• Have you met previously with our office regarding your product or service?  With whom?
• Has your company ever designed, built-out, or constructed a state-wide communications system?  If so, what state was it and what type system was implemented?  Also, please submit a contact for that system.
• Have you met previously with any of our local jurisdictions?  With which jurisdictions?   
• If you have a web site, please provide the link to the home page or location that describes your product.