Effective Date: July 26, 2022
Date Updated: April 2024
Version: 3.0
- SUBJECT
Competitive Geographic Information System (GIS) grants for enabling Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-
1-1) implementation. - INTRODUCTION
This policy statement is used by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) for the administration of
grants to county land information offices relating to GIS data creation, preparation, and training for
NG9-1-1 implementation, as authorized by Wis. Stats. § 256.35 (3s) (br).
Based on recommendations provided by the State 9-1-1 Subcommittee, the goals of the NG9-1-1
GIS Grant Program are to:- Enable NENA i3 call routing on the NG9-1-1 system.
- Demonstrate success of grant funding in enabling NENA i3 call routing.
- Understand the additional funding required to achieve full NENA i3 call routing statewide.
- Foster increased coordination between PSAPs and GIS authorities in each county.
- POLICY STATEMENT
This policy is applicable to DMA and county land information offices established under Wis. Stats. §
59.72 (3).
- Applicant Eligibility
Based on recommendations provided by the State 9-1-1 Subcommittee, an applicant is eligible if
they are a county land information office located in a county that has either:
- Fully executed a Participation Agreement to join the AT&T ESInet under the DMA state
contract; - Are in the process of executing a Participation Agreement to join the AT&T ESInet and the
Participation Agreement has been submitted to DMA for final signatures; - Are in the formal process of procuring a local/regional ESInet for NG9-1-1 services in the
county; or - Contracted for a local/regional ESInet for NG9-1-1 services in the county.
- Fully executed a Participation Agreement to join the AT&T ESInet under the DMA state
- Available Funding
A maximum of $6 million has been made available annually for DMA to issue grants to eligible
county land information offices under the NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program. Funding levels are subject to
change based on the state biennial budget process. - Required Matching Funds
The required match/local share amount will be set by DMA in each grant period and published in the
formal grant announcement. To remain consistent with the PSAP grant program established by Wis.
Stats. § 256.35 (3s) (bm), the maximum match/local share amount set by DMA for this grant
program shall not exceed 25% in a grant period.
Cash match is the only acceptable form of match under the grant program. Cash (hard) match
includes non-state or federal cash spent for project related costs.
Matching funds must be allowable expenses under the grant program and proof of the source of the
match amount must be identified in the application. Allowable funding sources that can be used for
the match amount include:
• Local government budget (e.g., tax levy, bond, locally retained fees, etc.)
• Donated funds
Funding sources that CANNOT be used for your match amount include:
• Other federal grants such as the Homeland Security Grant Program
• Local funds already allocated as match on another grant
• Any state or federal funds such as the Wisconsin Land Information Program grants
Any claimed cost share expense can only be counted once. Funds received through this grant
program cannot be counted as match for another grant. - Supplanting
Supplanting funds under the NG9-1-1 GIS Grant Program may be allowable in appropriate
circumstances. However, grant funds must be used to increase the amount of funds for the county
land information office that would otherwise have been available from local resources. County land
information office base operating budgets shall not be reduced because of the award of grant funds.
Subgrantees that are suspected of supplanting local funds will be scrutinized more closely and DMA
may require additional documentation to ensure base budgets are not being reduced. - Eligible and Ineligible Expenses
Eligible expenses must be directly related to NG9-1-1 implementation and include activities related
to:
• Data preparation, gathering, and creation of the required NG9-1-1 data sets
• Contracts for NG9-1-1 data preparation and collection
• Training
• New GIS Staffing working 100% on NG911
⚬ Salary and benefits during the grant performance period
⚬ Full time or limited term position
Ineligible expenses include:
• General staff overhead costs
• Costs for providing emergency services or emergency services equipment
• Costs incurred outside of the grant performance period
• Expenses not directly related to NG9-1-1 implementation - Application Process and Requirements
Grant applications will only be accepted during the open application period determined by DMA and
noted in the formal grant announcement. Grant applications must be submitted to DMA by the
county land information office in counties that are eligible to apply for the grants.
The following documentation will be due by the grant application deadline:
• Grant Application Form
• Joint letter from each Public Safety Answering Point in the county and the Land Information
Office indicating support and coordination for NG9-1-1 implementation
• Vendor quote(s) for each grant funded project
If the applicant is in a county that is not participating in the state’s NG9-1-1 contract with AT&T, the
applicant must also submit documentation that demonstrates the county is in the formal process of
procuring or has contracted with a vendor for a local/regional ESInet for NG9-1-1 services in the
county. - Pre-Evaluation Review
OEC Staff will review the grant applications and additional documentation for completeness. OEC
Staff may follow up with grant applicants for additional clarification or documentation necessary for
reviewing the application. - Evaluation Process
Grant applications will be competitively scored by an evaluation committee. Scores will be assigned
in the following areas:
• Alignment to recommendations outlined in a remediation report or the Wisconsin NG9-1-1
GIS Implementation Plan
• Projects that benefit multiple agencies or statewide impacts
• Detailed grant implementation timeline
• Enabling i3 call routing
• Source of match funding identified and allowable
• Grant budget information (e.g., Was enough detail provided? Were all expenses listed and
allowable? Were items categorized correctly? Does the budget demonstrate cost savings?)
• Joint letter from each PSAP in the county and the Land Information Office indicating
support and coordination for NG9-1-1 implementation - Grant Award
To better understand the funding needs for both small and large counties, to promote equitable
distribution of grant funds, and to ensure the overall grant goals identified in Section 2 of this policy
are being met, the following process will be used when awarding grants under this program.
Prior to evaluation and scoring, grant applications will be divided into two groups based on the U.S.
census population in the county. Applications will then be ranked within the two groups according to
the final scores assigned by the evaluation committee.
The top scoring applications in each group will be awarded grant funds until all funds have been
depleted. - Reimbursement
Grant funds will be received through reimbursement by DMA. One-time reimbursement will occur
following closeout of the grant project. Exceptions may be made on an individual county basis in the
event of extreme financial hardship.
- Applicant Eligibility
- DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS
The terms used in this policy statement are defined under Wis. Stats. §§ 256.35 and 59.72.
The following definitions and acronyms apply with respect to this policy statement:
“Land Information Office” means the entity established by the county board under Wis. Stats. §
59.72 (3).
“Department of Military Affairs” or “DMA”
“Emergency service IP network” or “ESInet” means a managed Internet protocol network that is
used for emergency services and be shared by all public safety answering points.
“Geographic information system” or “GIS”
“NENA i3” means the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Next Generation 9-1-1
standards and requirements. “NENA i3 call routing” refers to the ability to use GIS data in a
standardized format to route and validate a 9-1-1 caller’s location.
“Next Generation 9-1-1” or “NG9-1-1” means a statewide emergency number system regardless of
technology platform that does all of the following:
a) Provides standardized interfaces from requests for emergency assistance.
b) Processes all types of requests for emergency assistance, including calls and nonvoice and
multimedia messages.
c) Acquires and integrates data useful to the delivery or routing and handling of requests for
emergency assistance.
d) Delivers requests for emergency assistance and data to appropriate public safety answering
points and emergency responders.
e) Supports data and communications needs for coordinated incident response and
management.
f) Provides a secure environment for emergency communications.
“Office of Emergency Communications” or “OEC”
“Supplanting” refers to the act of reducing local funds specifically because grant funds are available
(or expected to be available). - REFERENCES
Wis. Stats. § 59.72 (3) https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/59/vii/72/3
Wis. Stats. § 256.35 (3s) (br) https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/256/35
- POINT OF CONTACT
For questions regarding this statement of policy, contact the DMA NextGen9-1-1 Program via email
at interop@widma.gov. If you experience issues reaching someone via email, please call (608) 888-
5501.