National Interoperability Field Operations Guide

The National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG) is a technical <a href="/facts/Reference_book/7Fq2pIYG">reference</a> for emergency communication planning and for radio technicians responsible for radios that will be used in <a href="/facts/Disaster_response/0ahnmSpP">disaster response</a>.
The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) was established by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Act as a response to communication challenges faced during the <a href="/facts/September_11_attacks/PfWQcQNx"> September 11, 2001 attacks</a> and <a href="/facts/Hurricane_Katrina/EflS9fkS">Hurricane Katrina</a>.
During each of these events, the lack of coordinated emergency communication solutions and protocols among the responding agencies hindered response and recovery efforts. These events raised awareness of the issue among public policymakers and highlighted the critical role emergency communications plays in incident response.
The first version of the NIFOG was published in September 2007. It was developed in partnership with the <a href="/facts/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security/jwz5gLfa">Department of Homeland Security</a>’s Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Spectrum Management Office to assist Federal and non-Federal agencies and potential users of the <a href="/facts/Mutual_aid_(emergency_services)/WnuztNHN">mutual aid</a> channels.
The NIFOG contains sections on:

<ul><li>Regulations and guidelines for national interoperability</li>
<li>Tables of nationwide <a href="/facts/Interoperability/7WgqUbXU">interoperability</a> channels and frequencies</li>
<li>Common communications references</li>
<li>Tables of commonly used frequencies for emergencies and disasters</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Airband/7XfgGWkl">Aviation</a>, <a href="/facts/Multi-Use_Radio_Service/uK2rwXFT">MURS</a>, <a href="/facts/General_Mobile_Radio_Service/YPhfxDfq">GMRS</a>, <a href="/facts/Family_Radio_Service/q8Ct0gW9">FRS</a>, <a href="/facts/Citizens_band_radio/tCSXXuTb">CB</a>, railroad, <a href="/facts/Search_and_rescue/pdLTUPgl">SAR</a> and <a href="/facts/Marine_VHF_radio/BSCEVGxz">marine</a> frequencies</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Amateur_radio/cBsMyamV">Amateur</a> emergency, calling and repeater frequencies</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Government_Emergency_Telecommunications_Service/6k7wCAgV">GETS</a> and <a href="/facts/Satellite_phone/gqUV4bat">Satellite Phone</a> dialing instructions</li></ul>
It also includes an organized listing of the national mutual aid channels and other reference material.
The guide is a popular reference among preppers, survivalists, licensed amateur radio operators and owners of radio scanners. The frequencies allow them to gather intelligence and monitor emergency services, government agencies, and emergency amateur radio frequencies during and after a disaster.
The current version is 2.01 and was issued in March of 2022. It can be ordered online, downloaded as a PDF or loaded into a mobile device.

National Interoperability Field Operations Guide open-in-new

National Interoperability Field Operations Guide