Radio Infrastructure Roles and Responsibilities

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20240

March 8, 2010

In Reply Refer To:

1292 (850/410) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 03/12/2010

Instruction Memorandum No.  2010-073

Expires:  09/30/2011

To:                   ADs, SDs and CDs

From:               Assistant Director, Business and Fiscal Resources

Subject:           Radio Infrastructure Roles and Responsibilities        DD:  03/31/2010

Program Area:  Radio, Engineering, and Realty

Purpose:  The purpose of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) is to define the roles and responsibilities for the design, construction, inspection, equipment installation, and maintenance of all radio facilities with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owned radio system equipment permanently installed.  This IM also provides guidance to Field Managers when considering new or renewed authorizations for communication uses on the public lands. 

Policy/Action:  Radio Infrastructure – Roles and Responsibilities

Radio Program (WO-410) – The State Radio Programs are responsible for the programming of funds for the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of radio system equipment.  This includes, but is not limited to routine replacement of battery systems, installation of new equipment racks to accommodate new radio equipment, and configuration of radio system equipment to provide reliable radio service.  Radio system equipment is defined as all communication equipment permanently installed at a specific radio infrastructure facility.  Radio system equipment includes all components that process radio communications in the audio and radio frequency spectrum.  This typically includes Very High Frequency (VHF) repeaters, backbone radio systems, telephone circuit processing equipment, and all antenna systems.  

Engineering Program (WO-854) – The Engineering Program is responsible for engineering cost estimates, design, construction, and maintenance of radio infrastructure facilities.  Radio facilities consist of the following elements:  radio shelter, including all mechanical, electrical systems and built-in components within the shelter; tower; internal and external grounding systems; primary and backup power (e.g., traditional AC, battery, solar, wind, diesel/propane generator with the exception of portable generators) for the radio facility; fencing; facility access; and drainage.  Equipment racks provided to address safety or Radio Infrastructure Compliance Assessment Safety, Health, and the Environment (RI CASHE) findings (e.g. seismic mounting of racks) may be included in a Deferred Maintenance (DM) or Capital Improvement (CI) project or other state funding authority.

Realty Program (WO-350) – The Realty Program is responsible for authorizing the construction of radio facilities on public land, and for monitoring the authorized uses to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the authorization.  The authorization process will ensure the following:

• Consideration is given to co-locating BLM radio system equipment in existing radio facilities.
• All newly authorized radio facilities are constructed and operated in accordance with Motorola R56 standards or other recognized standards;
• Newly authorized uses do not affect the operation of existing telecommunication facilities including BLM facilities; and

Attachments 1 through 3 provide detailed roles and responsibilities for each program. 

State and Field Offices – State and Field Offices are responsible for the implementation of RI CASHE recommendations/corrective actions.  State and Field Offices are to implement RI CASHE recommendations/corrective actions and/or request funding for their implementation within one year of the audit that identified the recommendations. 

States are to prepare and submit funding requests for projects to correct deficiencies identified in RI CASHE audits in accordance with the following guidance and schedule:

• Prepare Project Data Sheets (PDS) to correct radio infrastructure deficiencies eligible for DM or CI funding exceeding $25,000 that were identified prior to the issuance of this Instruction Memorandum (IM) by March 31, 2011. 
• Prepare PDSs to correct radio infrastructure deficiencies eligible for DM or CI funding exceeding $25,000 that are identified after the issuance of this IM within one year of their identification. 
• PDSs are to be submitted to and approved by the State Engineer before they will be considered for inclusion in the DM and CI Five Year Plan. 
• Critical health and safety projects that cannot wait for Five Year Plan DM or CI funding because of the risk they pose employees and the public that exceed $25,000 may be funded from other programs consistent with budgetary guidance. 

Requests for CASHE Corrective Action funding for deficiencies eligible for DM or CI funding that cost $25,000 to $3,000 are to be made via the State Engineer to the CASHE Program Lead within three months of the identification of those deficiencies.   Urgent radio infrastructure improvements in excess of $25,000 may be eligible for CASHE Corrective Action funding.  Those urgent projects will be agreed to by the State Engineer and CASHE Program Lead and submitted to the Washington Office for funding with the other CASHE Corrective Action projects for the next fiscal year.

Projects to correct radio infrastructure deficiencies costing $3,000 or less or not eligible for DM or CI funding are to be funded by the States as appropriate, consistent with budgetary guidance.

Timeframe:  This policy is effective immediately. 

Background:  In response to a recent OIG report on the Department’s Radio Communications Program (No. C-IN-MOA-0007-2005 the Department’s Office of Financial Management (PFM) performed an Internal Control Review of 183 randomly selected radio facilities throughout the Department.  This review found that 58 percent of the radio facilities posed a high risk of serious injury or death to employees and the public.  As a result, the PFM has recommended “that the Department reinstate wireless telecommunications as a material weakness.”  The Department has drafted new policy to address the material weakness, requiring all bureaus to complete baseline condition assessments of their owned and leased radio facilities by December 31, 2014, with follow-up independent inspections to verify that condition assessments have been performed and that corrective actions have been funded and implemented.

Per Washington Office Instruction Memorandum (IM) 2008-145, a program to inspect all BLM-owned and leased radio facilities is already underway.  [Note:  The term “leased radio facilities” includes facilities at which the BLM uses radio infrastructure not owned by the BLM pursuant to a formal or informal agreement.]  The RI CASHE Program has completed inspections at approximately 170 of 613 radio facilities.  The IM also announced that field offices’ annual CASHE performance ratings would be based on the completion of traditional and radio infrastructure findings beginning in FY 2009.  

Budget Impact:  The National Radio Communication Division (WO 410) will fund the baseline RI CASHE audits and follow-up tower structural assessments from its current budget.  Funding for radio facility related improvements will compete with other facility improvements and maintenance needs from the Bureau’s DM and CI Programs and other Field Office priority funds.

Manual/Handbook Sections Affected:  The National Radio Communication Division will incorporate the policy in this IM into the BLM 1292 Radio Communications Manual and the 1292-3 Radio Site Facilities Handbook, which is currently under revision.  The Engineering Division will incorporate this policy into the BLM 9100 Engineering Manual, and related sub-sections when they are revised.

Coordination:  Division of Business Resources (WO-850), National Radio Communications Division (WO-410), Lands, Realty, and Cadastral Survey (WO-350), and the Office of Fire and Aviation Policy (WO-400).

Contact:  Victor Montoya, Branch of Engineering and Asset Management Policy (WO-854) at (202) 912-7041, James Saxon, National Radio Communications Division (WO-410) at (208) 387-5833, Ken Morin, CASHE Program Lead (OC-670) at (303) 236-6418, or Scott Forssell, Branch of Rights-of-Way (WO-350) at (208) 769-5044.

Signed by:                                                       Authenticated by:

Janine Velasco                                                Robert M. Williams

Assistant Director                                           Division of IRM Governance,WO-560

Business and Fiscal Resources

3 Attachments

     1 – Radio Infrastructure Programmatic Roles and Responsibilities (4 pp)

     2 – Radio Infrastructure Inspection and Corrective Action Roles and Responsibilities (2 pp)

     3 – Summary of Radio Infrastructure Condition Assessment Protocol (2 pp)