Association of Public Safety Communications Officials – International, Inc. (APCO)
APCO is the world’s oldest and largest not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of emergency response communications.
http://www.apcointl.org/
CommTech
The CommTech Program within the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has a mission to assist state and local law enforcement agencies to effectively and efficiently communicate with one another across agency and jurisdictional boundaries. It is dedicated to studying interoperability options and making valuable information on that issue available to law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency technicians across the country.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/topics/technology/communication/
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grants and Assistance Programs
The primary mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation. FEMA provides numerous grants and assistance programs.
http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/index.shtm
Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC)
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications sponsors a group of representatives from forty-four (44) Federal Agencies, as well as state and local advisory representatives to identify and leverage partnerships with federal, state and local agencies that are implementing wide area infrastructure that would address common communications needs and enhance interoperability.
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/committees/gc_1170097478666.shtm
Grants.Gov
Grants.gov is a web resource providing a single access point for all grant programs offered by the Federal government. State and local agencies can find and apply for relevant grants at this site.
http://www.grants.gov/
National Integration Center Incident Management Systems Integration Division
The National Integration Center (NIC) Incident Management Systems Integration Division was established by the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide "strategic direction for and oversight of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)... supporting both routine maintenance and the continuous refinement of the system and its components over the long term." The Center oversees all aspects of NIMS including the development of compliance criteria and implementation activities at federal, state and local levels.
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/
National Emergency Communications Plan
The National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP), developed by the Office of Emergency Communications, is designed to address gaps and determine solutions so that emergency response personnel at all levels of government and across all disciplines can communicate as needed, on demand, and as authorized. The NECP is the nation’s first strategic plan to improve emergency response communications, and complements overarching homeland security and emergency communications legislation, strategies and initiatives.
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/publications/gc_1217521334397.shtm
National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)
NIEM is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. It is designed to develop, disseminate, and support enterprise-wide information exchange standards and processes that can enable jurisdictions to effectively share critical information in emergency situations, as well as to support the day-to-day operations of agencies throughout the Nation.
http://www.niem.gov/
National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
NPSTC is a federation of organizations whose mission is to improve public safety communications and interoperability through collaborative leadership.
http://www.npstc.org/index.jsp
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
A bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NTIA is the President's principal adviser on telecommunications and information policy issues, and in this role frequently works with other Executive Branch agencies to develop and present the Administration's position on these issues. In addition to representing the Executive Branch in both domestic and international telecommunications and information policy activities, NTIA also manages the Federal use of spectrum; performs telecommunications research and engineering, including resolving technical telecommunications issues for the Federal government and private sector; and administers infrastructure and public telecommunications facilities grants.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
The COPS Office, within the Department of Justice, awards grants to tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding provides training and technical assistance to advance community policing at all levels of law enforcement, from line officers to law enforcement executives, as well as others in the criminal justice field.
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/
Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)
The mission of OEC, within the Department of Homeland Security, is to support and promote the ability of emergency responders and government officials to continue to communicate in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters, and work to ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable and operable emergency communications nationwide.
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/gc_1189774174005.shtm
Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS)
OASIS is a not-for-profit, international consortium that drives the development, convergence, and adoption of e-business standards. The consortium produces Web services standards along with standards for security, e-business, and standardization efforts in the public sector and for application-specific markets.
http://www.oasis-open.org/
SAFECOM Program
SAFECOM is a communications program of the Department of Homeland Security. SAFECOM provides research, development, testing and evaluation, guidance, tools, and templates on interoperable communications-related issues to local, tribal, state, and Federal emergency response agencies. The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) supports SAFECOM’s development of guidance, tools and templates. The Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) supports SAFECOM-related research, development, testing, evaluation and standards. OEC is managed by the Directorate for National Protection and Programs. OIC is managed by the Science and Technology Directorate.
http://www.safecomprogram.gov/