The State of Missouri established the Missouri 911 Service Trust Fund to improve 911 services, especially in the most underserved areas. The Missouri 911 Service Board is charged with establishing and administering a financial assistance program that provides grants from the Fund to help finance 911 communications service projects.

Grants can be awarded to approved projects. Awards will be capped at $250,000 per jurisdiction. Multi-jurisdictional projects will not have a project cap, rather a cap of $250,000 per participating jurisdiction.

Fund Restrictions & Match Requirement

Funds for this cycle are limited to projects and expenditures that support Next Generation 911. All aspects of project funding and reporting must adhere to American Rescue Plan (ARPA) billing and auditing requirements.

Successful applicants will be required to engage with the Missouri 911 Service Board’s NG911 Implementation Manager and provide requested project updates to the Board. There will be a local match requirement for funds awarded through this grant program. Details around the match ARPA requirements will be announced.

Program Funding Objectives

Program funding objectives are outlined in state statute and outlined below.

Under section 650.330, RSMo, grants from the Fund may only be used for 911 communications service projects which accomplish one or more of the following purposes:

A. Implementation of 911 services in counties of the state without 911 equipment or to improve existing 911 systems;

B. Promotion of consolidation of public safety answering points, where appropriate;

C. ** Mapping and addressing all county locations;

D. Ensuring primary access and texting abilities to 911 services for disabled residents;

E. Implementation of initial emergency medical dispatch services, including prearrival medical instructions, in counties where those services are not offered as of the date the application is submitted; and

F. Development and implementation of an emergency services internet protocol network that can be shared by all public safety agencies.

**Please note, while the funding objectives includes mapping and addressing of all county locations, statewide mapping and addressing for 911 purposes is already in progress and funded through an alternative ARPA initiative.

Program Award Priority Areas

Attributes of 911 communications services projects that will qualify applicants for priority consideration are those that:

1. Include one or more public safety answering points (“PSAPs”) located in a jurisdiction with a 911 service level of basic (defined by the Board to mean “No 911 equipment”);

2. Consolidate two or more PSAPs;

3. Consolidate 911 services within or across defined regions;

4. Move one or more PSAPs up one or more service levels;

5. Meet the NENA i3 Solution Standard for Emergency Services IP Network;

6. Become NG9-1-1 compatible;

7. Include purchasing 911 communications equipment that is currently non-existent (versus replacement of existing 911 communications equipment);

8. Add Text-to-911 (defined as the ability to send a text message to reach 911 emergency call takers from a mobile phone or device).

Additional Considerations for Application Review

• Projects that address award priority areas in the most cost-efficient way possible

• Projects with outcomes focused on call-taking and citizen locating

• Projects that address the highest-need areas

• Projects that help in moving the state forward as a whole

Application Process

• Summer 2023 – Applications Open (Date TBA)– Applications will be posted on the 911 Service Board webpage.

• Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

• Virtual information session(s) will be held prior to the opening of the ARPA funding cycle.

Eligible Applicants

Under section 650.330-650.355, RSMo, the following entities are eligible to submit applications to the Board for grants to finance all or a portion of costs for 911 communications service:

• Any county;

• Any Elected Emergency Services Board established pursuant to 190.335 or 190.292; and

• Sikeston, which is the only city currently meeting the statutory criteria of “[a]ny home rule city with more than fifteen thousand but fewer than seventeen thousand inhabitants and partially located in any county of the third classification without a township form of government and with more than thirty seven thousand but fewer than forty-one thousand inhabitants.”

To be eligible, an the applicant must have completed

• (1) the board’s annual survey of public safety answering points for their jurisdiction was returned to the board (as required by section 650.330.13, RSMo);

• (2) applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate and sustain 911 services beyond the life of the or grant; and

Applications may be submitted by any one or more eligible applicants. Joint applications are encouraged.

Required Signatures

Please note that signatures are required from the following entities:

1. 911 Governing Body

a. County Commission, or if you are Sikeston or the City of St. Louis, your city governing body; or

b. Your county’s Elected Emergency Services Board. This applies to counties with a county-level sales tax dedicated to 911, pursuant to 190.335 RSMo or 190.292.

2. Lead 911 Entity, or the 911 organization charged with leading and implementing this project. This will typically be a PSAP but could also be the county commission or elected emergency services board. Please note, PSAPs may complete the application and submit it on behalf of an eligible applicant (i.e. county or ESB), so long as they have the necessary signature from the eligible applicant’s governing body.

Informational Q & A Webinar

Representatives for the Missouri 911 Service Board held a webinar on Monday, May 22 on the notice of grant opportunity for the Board’s 2023 ARPA NG911 Funding Cycle. You can access the recording of the webinar here.

Contact Information

For questions, please contact the Missouri 911 Service Board at [email protected]