U.S. Communities brings homeland security offering into the fold

The NACo-sponsored U.S. Communities program has recently announced the completion of a new contract for homeland security products and solutions. U.S. Communities worked with Fairfax County, Va., and several other local government agencies to establish a contract to provide homeland security equipment to local governments.

Prior to the U.S. Communities contract, national contracts for homeland security-related products that were available for use by local governments were limited. The new U.S. Communities contract, with Hagemeyer North America, is intended to offer local governments several benefits:

• Best national pricing from Hagemeyer (39 percent off published prices)
• Broad product offering
• Expenditures not limited to DHS grant-funded acquisitions
• No usage fee charged to participating agencies

The contract was awarded through a rigorous competitive procedure by Fairfax County and is available for all eligible participating agencies to use through U.S. Communities. The contract offering includes products in the following categories:

• personal protective equipment
• explosive device mitigation and remediation equipment
• search and rescue equipment
• interoperable communications equipment
• detection equipment
• decontamination equipment
• physical security enhancement equipment
• terrorism incident prevention equipment
• logistical support equipment
• medical supplies
• reference materials
• other non-listed public safety, law enforcement and fire equipment

Prior to awarding the contract, U.S. Communities established an advisory board of government purchasing representatives from across the U.S. in order to obtain the best information about this relatively new area. Fairfax County acted as lead public agency and awarded the contract to Hagemeyer North America, a leading national supplier of safety and security equipment with offices throughout the country.

The cost for many of the homeland security products offered through U.S. Communities may be reimbursed through a grant program from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Domestic Preparedness. For more information on Federal Homeland Security grants, contact the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management (www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us), or visit the Office of Domestic Preparedness Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/grants_goals.htm.

The U.S. Communities program presently offers 10 other contracts, including office and school supplies, office and classroom furniture, electrical, communications data, technology, parks and playground equipment, flooring and physical education equipment. Any public agency or nonprofit organization may access these contracts and piggyback on the terms, conditions and pricing. The program has no fees to participate, and public agencies only need to register to begin using the contracts.

To view the entire U.S. Communities product offering, learn more about the program and register to participate, visit www.uscommunities.org.