DHS wants to monitor states' progress on interoperable communications

The Office of Emergency Communications within DHS wants to ensure that the 50 state governments are spending their interoperable emergency communications grant monies in ways that comply with their approved statewide interoperability plans.

To that end, the emergency communications office, which falls under the National Protection and Programs Directorate, plans to require an annual report from each state on the progress the state is making to achieve interoperability at the city, county, regional, state and interstate levels.

The emergency communications office estimates it will take each state, on average, about six hours to complete its report to Washington, and that the total effort will cost DHS a little more than $8,200 per year to conduct.

Comments about the proposed information-gathering effort can be sent to Jonathan Clinton until March 8, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on January 5.