Fairfax, VA, May 18, 2006…The Department of Homeland Security’s SAFECOM has just sent notification of a National Interoperability Baseline Survey to 22,400 public safety agencies.  If your fire department has received a request to participate in this electronic survey, we ask that you act immediately to agree to complete the survey and then do so by responding to all questions thoroughly and then returning it promptly to DHS.

The purpose of this survey is to:

• Determine the capacity for interoperable communications among law enforcement, fire, and EMS agencies across the nation.

• Establish a process and mechanism to make it possible for agencies to regularly measure communications interoperability.

• Generate data to help public safety officials make better-informed decisions about how to most effectively allocate resources for improving communications interoperability.

• Gather information to guide and measure the effectiveness of future communications interoperability improvement efforts that local, state, and federal public safety organizations execute.

This is a first of its kind study.  The IAFC has had significant input into the drafting of the survey.  The survey will have a major impact on future federal funding decisions for local and state governments.  Therefore, the results of this study need to accurately reflect the current state of interoperability.  SAFECOM anticipates that it will update the survey every two years.

The survey will be administered in May and June.  Preliminary findings will be presented in August with a final report in October.  For additional information on the survey go the SAFECOM Web site:  http://www.safecomprogram.gov/ or call the IAFC government relations department.

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