Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project

Objective

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) assigns CISA with the responsibilities of promoting the ability of emergency response providers and relevant government officials to continue to communicate in the event of disasters, fostering the development of interoperable emergency communications capabilities, and promoting the development of standard operating procedures and best practices for using interoperable emergency communications capabilities for incident response. The HSA also assigns CISA with the responsibility to develop and update a National Emergency Communication Plan (NECP) to support and promote the ability of emergency response providers and relevant government officials to continue to communicate in the event of disasters. To carry out these responsibilities, CISA established the REMCDP to make cooperative agreements to non-federal entities to pursue rural emergency medical communications demonstration projects to meet various program objectives: (1) enhancing current statewide or regional emergency communications systems to address NECP implementation gaps and deliver rural medical care and services; (2) developing trainings and exercises to enable first responders and personnel to effectively use emergency medical communications system and equipment; (3) collaborating with whole community representatives to support NECP activities; (4) collaborating with state leaders to address the adoption of broadband communications to supplement current communications systems; (5) experimenting with innovative solutions to ensure emergency responders and medical practitioners can communicate in various geographies, operating conditions, and scenarios; and (6) identifying, documenting, and sharing lessons learned and best practices. The REMCDP supports Goal 5: Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience in the 2020-2024 Department of Homeland Security Strategic Plan and Goal 2: Risk Reduction and Resilience in the CISA Strategic Plan 2023-2025.

Who Can Apply

• Other (specify)

Public institution of higher education; State; U.S. Territory; Local Government (e.g. County, City, Township); Indian/Native American Tibal Government (Federally Recognized)

Who Benefits

• Public nonprofit institution/organization

A participant would include an entity that is involved in carrying out the project's scope of work under this award that does not receive any funding. For example, an applicant may partner with a medical facility that provides rural emergency medical care to execute the REMCDP project, and this partner would be an unpaid participant. There are no limitations or eligibility criteria for REMCDP participants consistent with the program’s focus on whole community involvement. Beneficiaries are those that will experience the benefits of a federal award. Direct beneficiaries of REMCDP project(s) may include, but are not limited to, first responders and personnel who participate in trainings or exercises, adopt innovative solutions, or incorporate best practices to improve rural emergency medical care. Individuals receiving medical care in the rural community in which the scope of work under the federal award takes place would be incidental beneficiaries of the REMCDP project(s).

Assistance Types

• Project Grants

Program Contact

Mark.Carmel@cisa.dhs.gov
202-407-0989