Minnesota Agencies

Develop a project plan for a statewide, shared, trunked public safety radio communication system referred to as "Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response" or "ARMER." The ARMER system is a major element of Minnesota's long-term interoperable communication planning, but not the only element. There is an immediate and pressing need for interoperable public safety communication planning among all emergency responders and the Statewide Radio Board is a broad forum representing all public safety disciplines from across the state."

The Statewide Emergency Communications Board was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2004 to implement the Statewide Interoperable Public Safety Radio and Communication System Plan. That plan evolved out of the implementation of a regionwide interoperable radio system in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area in 2001.

At the time the Statewide Emergency Communications Board was created, the Statewide Interoperable Public Safety Radio and Communication System was given the name of Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER).

2013 legislation expanded and updated the authority of the Statewide Radio Board to include the latest emergency communication technologies. That same legislation authorized the Statewide Radio Board to elect to become a statewide emergency communication board which it did that year. 

Changes to the composition of the board were made in 2005 (Minn. Laws. Chap. 156 Art 5 Sec. 21); in 2006 (2006 Minn. Laws Chap. 230 Sec. 1 and 2006 Minn. Laws Chap. 260 Art. 6 Sec. 19); and in 2013 (Minn. Laws 2013 Chap. 134 Sect. 27).

20 members, six appointed by the Governor. The board consists of the following members or their designees:

• the commissioner of public safety;
• the commissioner of transportation;
• the state chief information officer;
• the commissioner of natural resources;
• the chief of the Minnesota State Patrol;
• the chair of the Metropolitan Council;
• two elected city officials (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governing body of the League of Minnesota Cities);
• two elected county officials (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governing body of the Association of Minnesota Counties);
• two sheriffs (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governing body of the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association);
• two chiefs of police (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governor after considering recommendations made by the Minnesota Chiefs' of Police Association);
• two fire chiefs (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governor after considering recommendations made by the Minnesota Fire Chiefs' Association);
• two representatives of emergency medical service providers (one from the nine-county metropolitan area and one from Greater Minnesota, appointed by the governor after considering recommendations made by the Minnesota Ambulance Association);
• the chair of the regional radio board for the metropolitan area;
• and a representative of Greater Minnesota elected by those units of government in phase three and any subsequent phase of development as defined in the statewide, shared radio and communication plan, who have submitted a plan to the Statewide Radio Board and where development has been initiated.