Radio Configuration Standards for 2007 Field Season
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov/
March 15, 2007
In Reply Refer To:
1268, 1292, 9216 (WO-560D) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 03/16/2007
Instruction Memorandum No. 2007-081
Expires: 09/30/2008
To: All State and Center Directors
Attn: Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Field Management Officers (FMO)
From: Assistant Director, Information Resources Management
Subject: Radio Configuration Standards for 2007 Field Season
Program Area: Telecommunications and Wildland Fire
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum publishes the radio user device configurations standards for 2007, as endorsed by the Fire National Equipment Committee, the Fire National Operations Committee,and an Interagency Radio Technical Advisory Group.
Policy/Action: By May 1, 2007, each State and Center shall have all non-Law Enforcement radios configured per the attached standards. These standards will remain in effect until October 1, 2007.
The attached standards provide the required and recommended software, firmware, and button and programming configurations for handheld and mobile radios used within Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Any configuration options not listed in the attachment may be set locally to best suite the need.
All BLM radios and systems using frequencies from 162 to 174 MHz or 406 to 420 MHz shall operate in the narrowband. The BLM radio systems supporting wildland fire operations must use the analog mode. The use of the digital mode is at the discretion of the State or Center for any other business activity.
Radio systems where a Tone Pick List is used shall have the tone list configured per the attachment.
Waivers from this policy shall be addressed to the Bureau Radio Manager. The waivers must contain the model of the equipment, the justification why the configuration cannot be implemented, and the configuration which is requested to be used in the radios.
Extensions for the configuration completion due date shall be addressed to the Bureau Radio Manager. It must contain the models of the equipment, the justification why the configuration date cannot be met, and the proposed completion date.
Time Frame: This policy is effective upon receipt.
Background: The 2004 post-fire season comments indicated the need for national radio configuration standards to improve firefighter safety and to make communications support more efficient and effective. As a result, configuration board meetings have been held in 2004, 2005, and 2006 to define these radio configurations standards and further improve the safety for all employees. These boards consisted of fire, resource and law enforcement radio users, and technicians from BLM and the United States Forest Service (USFS). These recommended standards were also submitted to the Fire National Equipment and Operations Committees for review and endorsement.
Budget Impact: Minimal. Pre-field season radio maintenance and configuration is normally conducted each year during the off season.
Manual/Handbooks Affected: None.
Coordination: This document was coordinated with the Office of Fire and Aviation, NIFC Incident Communications Division, State Radio Leads, and USFS.
Contact: Please address any questions or concerns regarding this policy to Jeffery Brown at (202) 452-5008 or Russ Sveda at (303) 236-2315.
Signed by:
Authenticated by:
Scott E. MacPherson
Robert M. Williams
Acting, Assistant Director
Division of IRM Governance,WO-560
Information Resources Management
1 Attachment
1 - Bureau of Land Management Radio Configuration Standards 2007 (7 pp)