City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 19, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1 Funding and Virginia Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) Education Program through Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) for Educational Training.
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ISSUE: Consideration of a grant application to Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1 Funding and Virginia Public Safety Answering Points Education Program through Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) to fund for educational training for Department of Emergency and Customer Communication (DECC) personnel.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Approve the submission of the NG9-1-1 Funding and PSAP education program application for $3,000; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The NG9-1-1 funding and PEP grant program is run by VDEM. Funds for this program is made available through the Code of Virginia and administered by the Board. Funding is limited to those projects that fall within the programmatic areas identified in the guidelines. NG9-1-1 is an Internet Protocol-based system that allows digital information (e.g., voice, photos, videos, text messages) to flow seamlessly from the public, through the 9-1-1 network to emergency responders. NG9-1-1 will benefit the residents, visitors, and businesses of the City of Alexandria and the National Capital Region (NCR) by enhancing call delivery resiliency and reliability; creating network redundancy and diversity; enabling real-time photo and video transmissions; and improving call transfer capabilities across jurisdictions. Purposeful implementation of NG9-1-1 will maximize the region’s continued commitment to timely and effective delivery of interoperable 9-1-1 service.
DISCUSSION: The Department of Emergency and Customer Communication (DECC) is requesting grant funds up to the amount of $3,000 to assist with the training needs and coordination of NG9-1-1 for the region by attending regional conferences. Personnel from DECC will attend the Virginia NENA Spring training conference and the Virginia APCO conference(s) where the latest NG9-1-1 topics will be discussed and coordinated. This previously awarded grant has been managed by Fairfax County for the Northern Virginia PSAPs. This grant cycle, DECC requested the grant award specific to the City of Alexandria and NG9-1-1 requirements. DECC is in the final stages of the first phase of deploying NG9-1-1. This has been a three-year process for implementation and next generation will allow enhanced capabilities to handle 9-1-1 calls.
FISCAL IMPACT: This does not require any matching funds and does not have a fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
STAFF:
Debra Collins, Deputy City Manager
Renee M. Gordon, Director, Department of Emergency and Customer Communications