With the changing technology in communications, why are cell phones not allowed in the AFG Program?
There are several issues with allowing cell phones in the grant program. Under traditional means, they are not normally used for emergency communications. They are considered an ancillary device that may assist a fire department member for personal communications, but it is not the primary means for emergency communications, especially at a fire scene. There is also the issue of multiyear use agreements for cell phones, which is at odds with the fact that the program has a performance period of one year. The AFG Program will accept applications that include the 800 MHz trunked radio systems and wireless technologies in support of interoperability. As with all grant requests, the burden is on the applicant to provide justification for the cost-benefit of this type of request. If awarded, a technical review will be conducted to ensure the system requested meets the state and local interoperability requirements.
