SIRN 20/20

Medium

Important Deadlines:

Order date of radios: March 31, 2025

Reimbursement Application/Documents: January 31, 2026

Note: Deadlines will not be extended

Medium

Recent news

SIRN Radio Reimbursement Instructions (November 2024)

SIRN Buildout & Transition (November 2022)

SIRN 101 Presentation (November 2022)

SIRN Oct 2024 Status Update

SIRN - Infographic

Televate Landscape Survey Summary Report and SIEC Briefing

2023

- 22 of the 23 Dispatch Centers have replaced consoles

- Continue buildout of Mobile and Portable Tower Sites - 72 completed

- City of Dickinson Dispatch and agencies transitioned

- Encryption, Over the Air Programming, and Wi-Fi programming tested

- 800 MHz paging and weather sirens tested

2022

- 21 of the 23 Dispatch Centers have Replaced Consoles

- Continue buildout of Mobile and Portable RF Tower sites (40 sites complete, 16 in process, Target approximately 80 sites by end of year)

- Counties that have transitioned are: Williams County, Ward County, Grand Forks County, and Burleigh County

2021

- 75% of Dispatch Centers Upgraded to new Consoles

- 66% of Mobile Buildout Completed

- 3 Dispatch Centers Transitioned to 800Mhz (Williston, Grand Forks, Minot)

2020

- Network Core with diversity established

- 10 of the 22 PSAPs cutover to new consoles, with 8 planned for 2021

- Radio Frequency (RF) gear delivered to 49 sites (approximately 35% of the total sites)

2019

- Project kick off meeting was held on May 21, 2019. First phase of the project is to establish the network core and begin PSAP replacement.

- HB 1435 signed by Govenor Burgum in April

- During the March SIEC meeting, SIEC voted to proceed with the first phase of the project. Detailed planning will immediately commence surrounding a scope necessary to support the public safety answering points.

- We are pleased to announce that a contract has been executed with Motorola Solutions effective January 2019. We look forward to working in partnership with Motorola Solutions to implement a statewide mission critical voice communications solution that will meet the demanding needs our public safety community. Executed Contract & Pricing Exhibit.

Policy

Medium

Policy

Per the 66th & 67th Legislative Assembly of North Dakota, subject to the rules of the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) a cost share of $1,500 per radio for political subdivisions was established. Per SIRN Policy 6.0.0 Radio Reimbursement Policy / Procedures agencies were categorized into 3 Tiers. Timing of reimbursements will be based on the following tiers:

In order to be eligible for reimbursement radios must be ORDERED by March 31, 2025. Agencies are encouraged to work with their dispatch center to coordinate the timing of ordering and installing SIRN compatible radios.

Tier 1/Priority 1 – An agency to include any city, county, political subdivision, privately held or non-profit that responds to incidents that pertain to health, safety, and protection of life. Some of the agencies to include, but not limited to are: law enforcement, corrections, fire, emergency medical services, ambulance services, hospital or trauma centers, air medical, emergency operations centers, and emergency managers.

Privately Held and/or Non-profit reimbursements will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for eligibility as a Tier 1/ Priority 1 agency.

Tier 2/Priority 2 – An agency to include any city, county, and political subdivision that deals with non-mission critical public services. Some of the agencies to include, but not limited to are: public works, highway/street departments, public health, city/county coroner’s office.

Tier 3/Priority 3 - An agency to include any city, county, political subdivision, and non-profit that deals with education, transportation, and parks and recreation and all other not listed in tiers 1 and 2.

In order for an agency to be reimbursed for a qualified radio, you must complete the following SIRN Radio Reimbursement Questionnaire /Survey. Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, you will be given access to the reimbursement form needed for reimbursement. The information collected will be shared with other North Dakota State Agencies to ensure entities are not using other grant dollars which would exceed the total purchase price of the radio (i.e. If you are purchasing a $3000 radio from the approved list, which you have a $2000 grant and you pay $1000 difference, you can only ask for $1000 reimbursement). Programming and accessories are not allowable items for the cost share, only the radio price. If you have questions or concerns, please contact NDIT Public Safety Program Manager (701-328-1104).

Eligible agencies must purchase an approved radio that will be compatible with the ND SIRN system at completion of the project (i.e. 800MHz or Multiband (with 800MHz)). These radios must be purchased by March 31, 2025.

Rules and Guidelines

All Tiers/Priorities are able to submit for reimbursement at this time.

Those NOT ELIGIBLE are Federal, State and Tribal agencies.

All agencies who plan on ordering SIRN radios need to complete the survey in order to be eligible for reimbursement.

Once the eligible agency purchases the “qualified radio”, you will need to complete the online form. Agencies will need to provide proof of purchase with zero balance invoices, etc. which shows the radios were paid in full.

1. Radio must be from the “Approved (GRANT – Eligible)” CAP “2017 Bulletin” List per ND SIRN Standard 2.1.0. It must be programmed with all current SIRN standards pertaining to talkgroups, Fleet mapping, radio alias, etc.

2. Must be 800MHZ or Multiband (must include 800Mhz)

3. Per CJIS and ND Attorney General BCI memo, Law Enforcement must purchase an Encrypted radio, it must be AES encrypted, you must have Over the Air Re-keying (OTAR) enabled at the time of purchase, and purchase multi-key

4. Per SIEC, your agency is required to purchase Over the Air Programing (OTAP). It’s recommended to have this enabled at the time of purchase. It will assist in saving you future programming costs

5. Per SIEC, your agency must program radios to have GPS location sent with the Emergency Button is activated, you must enable GPS at the time of purchase

6. This reimbursement program cannot be used for “replacements”. Meaning, if an agency trades in radios every other year or every three years, this program can only be used on the initial purchase and used one time.

7. If you are purchasing radios for more than one agency, please contact the ND Public Safety Program Manager to properly populate this survey and electronic form.

8. In most cases a city or county fiscal agent(s) will be the recipient of the reimbursed funds. You will need to work with your fiscal agent to be sure funds are then directed back to your agency (i.e. City / County Auditor, City / County Treasurer).

9. If your agency or fiscal agent is financing your agency radios through a vender, your agency will need to pay at least $1,500 per radio up front to be eligible for the $1,500 Radio Reimbursement. Proof of the $1,500 up front payment must be provided along with the radio serial numbers at the time of the reimbursement submission. Please contact ND Public Safety Program Manager prior to purchasing if you have any questions. Agencies need to be sure they are following all state/local procurement and lending policies and procedures.

A list of available radios can be found on the SIRN Page. Each agency will need to work with their radio retailer to be sure the radios you are purchasing are completely compatible with the SIRN system before the purchase. This includes the various features and functions.

Other Guidelines:

Per Federal requirements and North Dakota Attorney General Memo, Law Enforcement radios must be encrypted (AES) with Multi-Key and Over the Air Rekeying (OTAR) to be eligible for reimbursement

Minimum Subscriber / Radio Feature Sets:

Radio Must be on the P25 CAP list

Must follow all SIRN subscriber Standards

800Mhz band

Smartzone operation

P25 trunking

TDMA Operation

GPS Enabled upon Emergency Button Activation

Over the Air Programming (OTAP)

AES Encryption (LE Radios)

Multi-key Operation (LE Radios)

Over the Air Rekeying (LE Radios)

Motorola Radio Pricing - Subscriber Pricing Information (updated 04/15/2023)

APX Next – N Series Pricing

JVC Kenwood Radio Pricing – Subscriber Pricing Information (updated 04/27/2022)

Steps / Procedures for applying for Reimbursement: Updated Instructions

1. Populate the SIRN Radio Reimbursement Survey

2. Once completed, you will be given a URL for the electronic SIRN Reimbursement Form (save this link in your bookmarks)

3. If your agency has not previously received payments from the State of North Dakota you will need to register as a "new vendor". New vendors (suppliers and individuals) looking to receive payment from the State should use our online supplier registration pages to apply for a vendor (supplier) number, Online Application.

4. While filling out the electronic form you will be asked to fill out the following information:

A. Agency Info (address, Tax ID, Address, phone, contact and email address)

B. Purchase Date of Radios

C. Radio Manufacturer

D. Radio Model Number

E. Whether it is 800Mhz or not (it has to be in order to be reimbursed)

F. Radio Serial Number

G. Agency Type (Must be City / County Law Enforcement, Fire, or EMS

H. Invoiced Cost per radio

I. Reimbursement Amount Requested (Max. $1,500 per radio)

5. You will then have to attach the following supporting documents (both are required):

A. All invoices to support what you are asking to be reimbursed on

B. Copies of canceled checks or proof of payment

(It is easier to combine all documents into one file. If checks covered more than one invoice, please note what invoice numbers the checks paid for. )

6. Once attached, click submit.

7. Once submitted and approved, your fiscal agent should receive the cost share in 4-6 weeks.

As the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) approves SIRN standards, those standards will be listed here.

Library

Medium

Library

SIRN Buildout & Transition (November 2022)

Chief and Sheriff's Association Meeting (May 2021)

9-1-1- Association Meeting (March 2021)

NDFA Meeting (February 2021)

ILG / Assoc. of Counties SIRN 101 Webinar (8/3/2020)

SIRN 101 Presentation Slides (November 2022)

SIRN Phase 2 RF Presentation - Slide deck from the 7/29/19 SIRN Phase 2 RF Presentation

SIRN Phase 1 Kick Off - Slide deck from the 5/21/19 SIRN Phase 1 Kickoff Presentation

Verizon

FirstNet/AT&T

PSAP/Consoles

CISA - PSAP Cyber Security Webinar (June 2022)

CISA - PSAP Cyber Security Webinar Slides (June 2022)

CISA - PSAP Cyber Security Informational Handout

Radios/Subscribers

Other

SIRN Radio Programming Authorization Letter (Each Radio Shop needs this on file to program radios for each department)

SIRN Talkgroup Authorization Request (if an agency wants to scan another agencies talkgroup, this needs to be on file)

Updated Radio Reimbursement Instructions - (April 2023)

2019 SIRN 20/20 Talking Points - Updated Program Information

CISA Understanding Encryption - Understanding Encryption Basics

SIRN Governance Program - updated Governance document

SIRN Radio Request Template- Please download and attach it to the SN Request.

History

An initial study sponsored by the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) and North Dakota Public Safety Organizations conducted interviews and collected surveyed feedback at multiple levels regarding user understanding of the current systems. Additionally, the study team collected data and conducted analysis of known systems and radio coverage to determine current functionality. The team compared current functionality with a study-recommended approach to identify potential gaps that could be addressed by newer systems. Finally, the study team assessed currently available technologies, provided an initial budget rough order of magnitude estimate for cost based on analyzed data, and recommended Key Deliverable improvements and process changes to public safety radio system owners in the State of North Dakota.

Statewide wireless communications systems consist of the LMR “ecosystem” within the State of North Dakota. The ecosystem operates across over 130 law enforcement agencies, 175 public and private EMS departments, 22 dispatch centers, and nearly 400 fire departments, operational across 53 counties, tribal nations, and the State. Land mobile radio systems in the State of North Dakota are comprised of disparate statewide, regional and local two-way voice and paging systems with varying levels of performance and sophistication. Most counties in the State operate an independent, or local dispatch facility and communications system, or have partnered with one or more neighboring counties to form consolidated systems. Populous counties or jurisdictions such as Burleigh, Grand Forks and the City of Fargo each maintain independent simulcast radio systems utilizing several sites to provide the requisite hand held or portable coverage to their end users. A number of the less populous rural counties employ the State Radio network for all their primary mission critical communication needs including 911call taking and processing, first responder dispatching and radio communications. Most counties additionally operate various small, local area communications networks to provide two-way voice services to secondary agencies such as highway departments, public works and schools. While dispatch services statewide are being delivered by 22 public safety answering points (PSAPs), the communications needs of first and second responder agencies in the State are delivered by dozens of county and regional radio networks and the State Radio system.

A 2014 exploratory study of public safety radio communications in North Dakota described a collection of networks lacking local and cross-jurisdictional interoperability (city, county, tribal, state). The report asserted that the current infrastructure possesses potentially significant gaps, limiting the ability of public safety field and dispatch personnel to operate transparently across jurisdictions and public safety communities. Equipment was described as lacking operational suitability based on an analytical assessment of readily available data. As a result, the study developer recommended the State conduct a comprehensive update of systems based on an integrated, interoperable trunked Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Project 25 standard (P25) system. The study also recommended implementation of a consistently applied governance model to ensure improved training and operations.

Understanding SIRN 20/20

Definitions

Statewide - strategic planning and implementation among all emergency responders and designated public-service organizations that serve the residents of the State (Establishing Governance to Achieve Statewide Communications Interoperability, Dec 2008, Guide for Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan, DHS)

Interoperability - ability of public safety and support providers – law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, emergency management, the public utilities, transportation, and others – to communicate with other responding agencies, to exchange voice and/or data communications on demand and in real-time (AGILE, March 2003, Guide to Radio Communications Interoperability Strategies, NLECTC-NE)

Interoperability

When SIEC representatives talk about "interoperability" in the context of this study, we're referring to

Day-to-day interoperability – routine public safety operations
Mutual aid interoperability – joint and immediate response to accidents, incidents and natural disasters
Task force interoperability – Agencies collaborating for an extended period of time to address a particular problem