Florida Administrative Code › 60 - DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES › 60FF1 - Emergency Communications Board › Chapter 60FF1-5 - EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS BOARD › Section 60FF1-5.005 - Emergency Grants

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
The E911 Emergency Grant program is a grant program
				  establishing an expedited schedule for approval of grants, provided to assist
				  counties with the emergency restoration of Enhanced 911 throughout the State of
				  Florida resulting from natural and man-made disasters or events.
(1) Eligibility: Any Board of County
				Commissioners in the State of Florida.
(2) General conditions:
(a) Each County applying for Emergency grant
				funds shall complete and submit W Form 5A, "Application for the Emergency
				Communications Emergency Grant Program, " effective 1/2024, which is
				incorporated herein by reference and which may be obtained from the E911 Board
				office at the following address:
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-16517
;
				or
State of Florida Emergency Communications Board
ATTN: 911 Communications Section
4030 Esplanade Way, Suite 135
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0950
The applicant must provide one original of the pages for
				  Application Form items 1 through 14 and the associated quotes for the grant
				  application.
(b) Hosted 911
				answering point call-taking equipment and network services, recurring network
				and circuit costs, equipment maintenance and warranty costs will not be funded
				on more than an annual basis. Warranty and maintenance costs shall be
				calculated to account for only the first year warranty and maintenance costs
				and shall not include upfront maintenance costs to reduce the yearly service
				amount.
(c) Equipment procurement
				shall be based on the county's purchasing requirement and the applicable State
				purchasing requirements specified in Chapter 287, F.S., and the requirements of
				Section  112.061, F.S.
(d) Grant applications totaling $35, 000.00
				or more must be accompanied by at least three written substantiated competitive
				quotes from different vendors. The E911 Board will compare the three quotes to
				any existing state contract in order to determine appropriate funding. Any
				county that has made a good faith effort to obtain three competitive quotes and
				has not been able to obtain the quotes can request E911 Board review based on
				substantiated proof of request for quotes or posting of the request with
				documentation of the limited responses.
(e) If the grant application does not exceed
				the threshold amount of $195, 000, the county can initiate a request for sole
				source funding. Sole source funding will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
				Justification and documentation for sole source funding shall be provided with
				the application. Sole source funding will be approved if provided in accordance
				with Chapter 287, F.S., or with provision of a letter from the county's
				purchasing department that the project is a sole source procurement based on
				the county's purchasing requirements, which shall be provided with this grant
				application.
(f) Priorities for
				awarding of grants will be determined by the E911 Board. Grant priorities may
				be adjusted by the Board and published with the grant application package three
				(3) months prior to the application submission date. The grant priority list is
				available as an addendum with the grant application at the start of each grant
				cycle at the address shown in paragraph (2)(a), above.
(g) No grant money will be awarded to be used
				for the purpose of paying call takers' salaries.
(h) Two or more rural counties may apply for
				a joint grant, but each county must complete and submit W Form 5A as requested
				and indicated.
(i) Grant funds
				shall be provided on a cost reimbursement basis. Grant funds shall be deposited
				in a bank account maintained by the grantee county, and each grant shall be
				assigned a unique accounting code designation for deposits, disbursements, and
				expenditures. All funds in the account shall be accounted for separately from
				other grantee funds. Grant funds may be used only between the beginning and
				ending dates of the grant, unless an extension is requested and authorized by
				the E911 Board. Extension of time will not be granted unless the county has
				executed a contract for the grant equipment and/or services, or demonstrates
				good cause for failure to execute a contract within twelve months of award.
				Grant extensions shall be limited to a maximum of one additional year when
				approved by the Board.
(j) Upon
				written request and accompanying documentation justifying the need, a county
				may receive payment of funding with a completed Expenditures Reporting Form,
				with the vendor invoice, and county certification that the specific grant items
				including all tasks and deliverables included in the funding request are
				complete. Within 45 days of receipt of funding, the grantee shall submit
				verification of payment to the vendor.
(k) Grant awards may be terminated in whole
				or in part by Board, with the consent of the grantee, in which case the two
				parties shall agree upon the termination conditions, including the effective
				date and in the case of partial termination, the portion to be terminated.
				Grant awards may be terminated by the grantee upon written notification to the
				Board, detailing the reasons for such termination, the effective date, and
				return of all funding.
(l) Grantee
				counties must submit quarterly reports to the E911 Board, summarizing the
				expenditures and activities of the grant funds. The reports are due 30 days
				after the end of the reporting period, which ends March 31 and June 30,
				September 30, December 31. In lieu of submitting a signed quarterly Grant
				Budget/Expenditure Report form, Quarterly Report Forms, Request for Change
				Forms, and Final Report Forms and associated information should be emailed to
				E911 Board-ElectronicGrantReports@dms.myflorida.com. The quarterly and final
				reports will be considered late if not received by the Board Staff prior to the
				next scheduled Board Meeting after the due date. Quarterly reports, change
				requests and final reports shall be signed by the county 911 coordinator.
				Emailed reports from the county 911 coordinator shall be considered as meeting
				this signature requirement.
(m) At
				project completion, a final report shall be submitted based on the same
				reporting periods described above. The County shall determine the final
				completion date based on the final payment date or the initiation date of the
				warranty period. Final supporting documentation including copies of all
				expenditures and corresponding invoices shall be submitted within 90 days of
				the final report.
(n) The County's
				Board of County Chairperson shall be notified when overdue quarterly reports,
				final document and final reports are not received before the next E911 Board
				meeting following the month after the end of the quarter in which they are
				due.
(o) Funding continuance will
				be based on timely submission of quarterly reports.
(p) Grant awards will be withheld for any
				county that has a grant with a past-due quarterly report or past-due final
				documentation and closeout, of previous E911 Board grant awards.
(q) Responsibility for property and equipment
				obtained under a grant cannot be transferred under any circumstances. If a sale
				or transfer of such property or equipment occurs within five years after a
				grant ends, funds must be returned on a pro rata basis.
(r) Responsibility for grant funding and any
				failure to perform the minimum level of service required by the grant
				application and the application scope of work cannot be transferred under any
				circumstances from the County. Failure to perform the scope of work or
				expenditure of funds for other than allowable 911 costs as stated in the grant
				application shall require the county to return the awarded funds to the E911
				Board.
(s) The amount and
				availability of funds in the Trust Fund for allocation each year is subject to
				an annual appropriation by the Legislature. The E911 Board will adjust the
				amount awarded to a county based upon the availability of funds, eligibility of
				requested items, published quotes, increased effectiveness of grant funds,
				minimum system requirements for performing the needed E911 function as
				specified in the State E911 plan, or documented factors provided in the grant
				application submission.