SOLICITATION NOTICE
58 -- Request for Information, SAFECOM Program, Technologies and Processes Enabling Public Safety Interoperability
- Notice Date
- 10/20/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- DHS - Direct Reports, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Office of Procurement Operations, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Washington, DC, 20528
- ZIP Code
- 20528
- Solicitation Number
- HSSCHQ-04-RFI-0002
- Response Due
- 11/14/2003
- Archive Date
- 11/29/2003
- Point of Contact
- Jean Carter, Contracting Officer, Phone 2027725044, Fax 2027729729,
- E-Mail Address
-
jean.carter@dhs.gov
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, SAFECOM PROGRAM, Technologies and Processes Enabling Public Safety Interoperability____---- INTRODUCTION---- The SAFECOM Program (SAFECOM) is soliciting comments and input from qualified vendors and the academic research community regarding technology concepts and existing or under-development products or services to provide for the interoperability of public safety communications. SAFECOM is asking for 5-7 page White Papers describing the technology product, service, or concept to be submitted by November 14, 2003. White Papers should be submitted to safecomprogram@dhs.gov.____ SAFECOM is the umbrella program within the Federal government intended to help local, tribal, State and Federal public safety agencies improve public safety response through more effective, efficient, interoperable wireless communications. The SAFECOM program was created by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a high priority e-government initiative and is housed within the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SAFECOM is currently working with existing Federal communications initiatives and key public safety stakeholders to facilitate the development of better technologies and processes for the cross-jurisdictional and cross-disciplinary coordination of existing communications systems and future networks. A public safety practitioner driven program, SAFECOM has a customer base of over 44,000 local and State public safety agencies and organizations, in addition to over 100 Federal agencies involved in public safety response.____ This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to increase SAFECOM?s awareness of the technology available, under development or in concept that will help realize the program?s long-term goal: The creation of a ?system of systems? by which public safety across disciplines and jurisdictions will be fully interoperable when necessary. A panel of SAFECOM representatives will review submissions to this RFI and select respondents may be invited to present to a board of these representatives to answer questions regarding submitted products, services, or technology concepts. A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) under which SAFECOM may fund demonstration projects undertaken jointly by industry and public safety agencies will likely follow this RFI.____ ----BACKGROUND---- Public safety wireless ?interoperability? is the ability of public safety service and support providers to communicate with each other via voice, data or video, on demand, in real time, when needed and as authorized. Inadequate and unreliable wireless communications are serious issues plaguing public safety. In many instances, agencies lack the technology necessary to perform their mission-critical duties. Such agencies are unable to share critical voice and/or data information in routine day-to-day operations, within pre-established task forces and in large-scale events such as acts of terrorism and natural disasters. This lack of interoperability comes at a high price: Property may be damaged or even lives lost when public safety agencies cannot effectively communicate.____ According to a report issued by the National Task Force on Interoperability (NTFI) in January 2003, there are many factors-- political, technological, and financial-- that hamper public safety interoperability today, including:____ ? Incompatible and aging communications equipment in use across the 44,000 agencies in the United Sates, ranging from newer, digital systems to 30 year old analog systems____ ? Limited and fragmented budget cycles and funding at the federal level (where grant funding agencies have not previously coordinated a common set of requirements) and at the local level (where individual agencies often have different planning cycles, procurement processes and technology requirements)____ ? Limited and fragmented planning and cooperation among public safety agencies due in part to the limited resources of small and sometimes volunteer organizations____ ? Limited and fragmented radio spectrum dedicated to public safety____ ? Limited equipment standards for public safety communications which would incorporate universally recognized, fully open, implementable standards____ ----TECHNOLOGIES OF INTEREST---- SAFECOM is requesting information from qualified vendors and the research community for products, service models or enabling technologies that can accomplish one or more of the following functional requirements:____ ? Interconnect disparate voice and/or data public safety communications systems____ ? Extend and/or enhance public safety communications systems coverage (including but not limited to improved spectrum management, signal coverage, system reliability)____ ? Extend and/or enhance capabilities to public safety communications systems (including, but not limited to extension of battery life, user/message prioritization)____ SAFECOM and its associated programs have identified a number of parameters expected to characterize the technologies and processes submitted in response to this RFI. While submissions are not necessarily expected to respond to all of these considerations, SAFECOM would like to identify concepts that fulfill or enable as many as possible. Evaluations will be based on these parameters.____ These parameters include:____ ? Open Standards rather than proprietary solutions____ ? Leveraging of ?mainstream? commercial technology____ ? Backwards compatibility with legacy systems and technologies____ ? Scalability to function in both day-to-day public safety response and in major event situations with small and large number of responders and varying functional requirements of different types of subscribers (e.g. police, fire, EMS) and levels of government (local, State and Federal)____ ? High end-to-end Quality of Service and performance characteristics____ ? High degree of reliability and redundancy____ ? Useful for day-to-day operations____ ? Limited power requirements____ ? Flexibility in ergonomics / ease of use____ ? Inherent and supportable elements of security____ ? Inherent and supportable elements of privacy____ ? Acceptable Total Cost of Ownership for public safety agencies____ ? Interoperability across public safety disciplines and all levels of government____ ? Spectral efficiency____ ? Non-Repudiation____ ? Interoperable across all Public Safety frequency bands____ Stage of Development:____ SAFECOM is interested in receiving submissions from industry that illustrate any new or developing technologies that can provide solutions, full or partial, towards public safety interoperability. Information on technologies in all stages of development is welcome and sought after, whether the products are already on the shelf, in development, or merely a concept on the drawing table. It is asked that industry clearly articulate the stage of development of any technologies in the submissions.____ ----WHITE PAPER CONTENTS:---- In response to this Request, white papers of 5-7 pages should be submitted which cover:____ 1. Background, Current State, and Categorization of Proposed Technology Describe in adequate detail the specific technology or solution being proposed for SAFECOM consideration, the current state of its development, any current deployments of the technology within the public safety environment, and how the technology or solution compares with the parameters outlined above.____ 2. Applicability of Proposed Technology to Public Safety Communications Explain how the proposed technology or solution would be deployed in a public safety communications setting, and how public safety officers would gain access to and use it.____ 3. Timeline and Cost to Develop Provide a rough estimate of the time and cost to develop the technology for utilization.____ ----SUBMISSION PROCESS:---- In response to this Request, white papers of 5-7 pages should be submitted electronically by Friday November 14, 2003 to____ safecomprogram@dhs.gov____ ----CONTACTS:---- Parties requiring further information may contact:____ Dereck Orr, SAFECOM Program, Dereck.orr@nist.gov____ ----RESOURCES:---- Additional information on public safety communications and associated federal efforts can be obtained at the following websites.____ AGILE Program The AGILE Program within the Office of Science and Technology at the National Institute of Justice has a mission to assist State and local law enforcement agencies to effectively and efficiently communicate with one another across agency and jurisdictional boundaries. It is dedicated to studying interoperability options and making valuable information available to law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency technicians across the country.____ http://www.agileprogram.org/____ Association of Public Safety Communications Officials ? International, Inc. (APCO) APCO is the world?s oldest and largest not-for-profit professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of public safety communications.____ http://www.apcointl.org/____ Justice Technology Information Network (JUSTNET) The official web site for the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system, JUSTNET contains various publications on communications interoperability issues.____ http://www.justnet.org/____ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summit on Interoperable Communications for Public Safety The Summit on Interoperable Communications for Public Safety, held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on June 26 and 27, 2003 was a joint effort between NIST, the Department of Homeland Security?s Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate, Project SAFECOM, and the National Institute of Justice?s AGILE Program. The Summit brought together a variety of programs that were created to assist public safety practitioners, including the First Responders. The Summit was the initial step in familiarizing key interoperability players with the work being done by others so that mutually beneficial coordination, and collaboration, among the various technical programs could be established.____ http://pssummit.its.bldrdoc.gov/____ National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) NPSTC is a federation of associations representing public safety telecommunications. NPSTC serves as a resource and advocate for public safety telecommunications issues.____ http://www.npstc.du.edu/____ National Task Force on Interoperability (NTFI) Recognizing that solutions to the national problem of public safety communications interoperability could only be achieved through cooperation between all levels of government, 18 national associations representing State and local government and public safety officials formed a task force to address this issue. NTFI?s recommendations have been published in the form of a brochure, guide, and supplemental resources.____ http://www.agileprogram.org/ntfi/____ Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) Formerly a joint Department of Justice and Department of Treasury program and now part of the SAFECOM program under DHS, PSWN is dedicated to the establishment of a seamless, coordinated public safety communications system for the safe, effective, and efficient protection of life and property.____ http://www.pswn.gov/____
- Record
- SN00454442-W 20031022/031020213013 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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