SAFECOM Members:

On behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), we are pleased to announce that the FY 2016 SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants (SAFECOM Guidance) has been posted to the SAFECOM website at: https://www.dhs.gov/safecom/funding.  The FY 2016 SAFECOM Guidance is updated annually to provide the most current information on emergency communications policies, eligible costs, technical standards, and best practices for State, territorial, tribal, and local grantees investing Federal funds in emergency communications projects.

In its tenth edition, the SAFECOM Guidance continues to evolve to meet the needs of the public safety community.  This year's Guidance reflects the current emergency communications landscape, investment priorities, technical standards that help to ensure interoperability, and available supporting materials for implementing emergency communications grants.  Updates also include a new appendix addressing compliance with the Guidance for all DHS grantees.  Additionally, this edition details cybersecurity issues, standards, and best practices.

As members of the SAFECOM/NCSWIC, thank you for your contribution to this year's Guidance and helping us ensure that emergency communications policy is consistent across the Federal government.  The efforts of the SAFECOM/NCSWIC Funding and Sustainability Committee shaped the Guidance so that it better serves our emergency communications community.  For questions or additional information on the FY 2016 SAFECOM Guidance, please email OEC at: oec@hq.dhs.gov.

Respectfully,

Ron Hewitt, Director
DHS Office of Emergency Communications