SAFECOM Publishes 2021 SAFECOM Strategic Plan

Author: Ralph Barnett, III, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

The SAFECOM Strategic Plan describes the Program’s short- and mid-term priorities, and associated annual products and activities, to enhance operability and interoperability for public safety communications through the education of the community, decision makers, and elected officials for calendar year 2021. SAFECOM identifies these priorities annually through its committee structure, consisting of four standing committees: Education and Outreach, Governance, Funding and Sustainment, and Technology Policy. SAFECOM also utilizes working groups and task forces to accomplish initiatives. SAFECOM partners and coordinates closely with the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC) across multiple program subgroups and engagements.

SAFECOM incorporates nationwide recommendations holistically, identifies gaps, and determines how to fill them. Drawing from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) major guiding documents, SAFECOM committees, working groups, and task forces develop strategic priorities to influence policy, guidance, and future efforts important to the public safety community. SAFECOM leveraged the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP), which serves as the Nation’s strategic plan to enhance emergency communications capabilities, to develop its strategic priorities.

SAFECOM is a stakeholder-supported public safety communications program administered by CISA. CISA supports SAFECOM’s development of grant guidance, policy, tools, and templates, and provides direct assistance to state, local, tribal, territorial (SLTT), and federal practitioners. Through collaboration with emergency responders and policymakers across all levels of government, SAFECOM works to improve multi-jurisdictional and intergovernmental public safety communications interoperability. Working with the Nation’s leading public safety associations and SLTT government entities, SAFECOM guides the SLTT community in prioritizing public safety communications initiatives through its framework of strategic priorities and associated annual products and activities. This strategic direction helped establish our vision and mission execution.

For more information on SAFECOM, please visit: cisa.gov/safecom/about-safecom.