FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 CONTACT:    Richard Mills/Dan Nelson

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007                                                                  202-482-4883

SECRETARIES GUTIERREZ AND CHERTOFF TO ANNOUNCE NEARLY $1 BILLION IN GRANTS FOR FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNICATIONS

Funding Announced for All 50 States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Territories

WASHINGTON –U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and U.S. Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff will announce the $968 million Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grants to help state and local first responders improve public safety communications during a natural or man-made disaster on Wednesday, July 18, 2007. 

The PSIC Grant Program will assist public safety agencies in the acquisition, deployment, and training of interoperable communications systems to enhance interoperable communications of voice, data, and/or video signals.  Commerce will award grants by September 30, 2007, as required by the Call Home Act of 2006.

WHO:         U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez and
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

WHAT:      Announcement of Nearly $1 Billion in Grants for First Responder Communications

WHEN:      Wednesday, July 18, 2007

10:00 a.m.

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. ─ Press Check-in

WHERE:    U.S. Department of Commerce

                   Auditorium Stage

                   1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

                   Washington, D.C.

Media should enter the 14^th Street entrance with proper press credentials. 

To register, media should contact Todd Sedmak at (202) 482-7002 or email tsedmak@ntia.doc.gov.

# # #