The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) Board created by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-96) held its third meeting today in Boulder, CO, in which it passed resolutions on reporting to congress, BTOP Projects, delegated hiring authority, and other procedures. Information was also provided on outreach efforts and the State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP).
FirstNet is required to report to Congress on the anniversary of Public Law 112-96. The first report, authorized under Resolution 17, included FirstNet activities, as well as actions taken by the Department of Commerce and NTIA, including those prior to the appointment of the FirstNet Board in August 2012. The Technical Advisory Board, State and Local Implementation Grant Program, recruitment of the FirstNet Board, general outreach and education, and partial suspensions of BTOP Public Safety projects are discussed. Furthermore, the operations of the FirstNet Board including resolutions, presentations, and NOI are detailed therein.
Board member Sue Swenson will negotiate Public Safety BTOP recipient spectrum lease agreements, as authorized under Resolution 18. FirstNet's preliminary conclusion is that these recipients' projects could provide "substantial benefits to the development of the nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network." These agencies must seek the NTIA's approval to lift the partial suspension of their BTOP funding.
Resolutions 18 and 19 authorized FirstNet's Acting General Manager Craig Farril and Acting User Advocacy Officer Jeff Johnson to hire no more than ten employees on a term and/or permanent basis before the next scheduled Board meeting, and set up procedures for obtaining unanimous written consent to conduct business in between scheduled Board meetings.
In response to the many complaints about a lack of outreach and communication with the Public Safety community, Johnson made a presentation on current and future Stakeholder Outreach efforts. Upcoming outreach efforts include meetings, speaking engagements, a "listening tour," and additional tools targeting BTOP recipients first, followed by the PSAC members, State and Regional Working Groups, key professional associations, and potential early "opt-in" users. A press conference held after the meeting was also an indication that the Board members are making an effort to appease the Public Safety community's desire to provide valuable input and hear back on ongoing actions. Johnson's stance was that up until this point, the information was not available to share, and that the User Advocacy vein of FirstNet had to first be put into place before any feedback could be gathered. Meetings with Board members are still difficult to set up, but it is the hope of Public Safety that this will change going forward.
Stephen Fletcher's presentation on State and Local Implementation Grant Program reiterated specifications set out by Congress and provided a timeline for the grant program. Part of this funding was provided to set up each state's single point of contract for FirstNet. Although each state must apply for its own grant, states would do well to pool resources with regard to the NPSBN, particularly in regions with states that have interests in common. The Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Interoperable Nationwide Advanced Communications (MACINAC) includes Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, all of which are concerned with more densely populated geographies. Coastal, Plains, Midwest, and Southern states should be looking at MACINAC as a great model for resource-sharing partnerships and consortiums.
For more information visit the meeting documents page on the NTIA's website.
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