President Obama is set to sign the economic stimulus law today. As detailed in a previous post, the law includes significant funds for public safety. A new report from Galain Solutions indicates that the range of total funds available is anywhere from $4 billion to $13.8 billion for local public safety. The range is so large because of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The vast majority of the Stabilization Fund would go to education, but governors can spend 18 percent of their allotment—over $9.7 billion—on public safety and other government services.

While the stimulus bill promises some relief, public safety agencies can’t just sit back and relax. Galain’s report suggests the following:

• Get prepared. Now is the time to start making plans, even if the rules are not 100 percent clear at this point. This applies to both buyers and sellers.

• Be heard. Use your contacts in your governor’s office and with your local legislators to express your opinions about spending the state stabilization funds. Remember, most of the money is allocated for education, but the relatively small percentage that could be spent on public safety is still a significant amount of money.

• Be informed. Federal and state officials will now scramble to figure out how to administer this large amount of money. They’ll then start publicizing the rules for applying for the money. Pay attention, and use your contacts with state administrators to get as much advance notice as possible.

• Prepare for oversight. Despite the pressures to move quickly, new oversight requirements will likely come from Washington. Plus, local procurement rules aren’t waived just because grant money is involved.

•Expect competition. This is true for both buyers and sellers. Be assured that the funds will attract vendors who’ve not competed in public safety markets before. This can be good and bad. Strong solutions and credible stories will be at a premium. It will be important for vendors to stick to fundamentals – good solutions, strong service, solid relationships with buyers, and most importantly, integrity. On the “buy side”, there will be competition over which programs should get funding.

The full report will be available on the Galain Web site later today.