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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
FSM 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6640 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Amendment No.: 6640-2011-09
Effective Date: November 2, 2010
Duration: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
Date Approved: 11/2/2010
Approved:
Forest Supervisor
Posting Instructions: Amendments are numbered consecutively by title and calendar year.
Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this amendment. Retain this
transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last amendment to this title was 6600-99-3
to 6610.
New Document
6640.42h, 6640.42i, 6640.62, 6642.26, 6642.29
5 pages
Superseded Document(s)
(Amendment Number and
Effective Date)
Digest: Adds the following:
6640.42h and 6640.42i – establishes Line Officer, Staff Officer, and Employee
responsibilities.
6640.62 – Adds direction to use R3-Coconino_6640 form for Wireless Voice and
Data Equipment Justification and Requests.
6642.26 – Establishes Forest cell phone policy
6642.29 – Establishes Forest broadband card policy
Coconino NF Supplement
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/2/2010
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6640 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
6640.4 - Responsibility
6640.42h – Line and Staff Officers
Line and staff officers are responsible for ensuring proper authorization and use of the
equipment.
6640.42i – Employees
It is the responsibility of the employee to:
1. Ensure that service and equipment are utilized for authorized activities only and in
compliance with all agency regulations, including safety. See Departmental Regulation
3300-1 regarding limited personal use of government office equipment.
2. Be cognizant that airtime is a government resource and must not be used for personal
business.
3. Not use the wireless voice or data equipment as a convenience when a government land
line telephone or a commercial land line telephone is available and is more cost effective
to use.
4. Recognize it is neither appropriate nor cost-effective to use wireless voice equipment in
conjunction with the government calling card.
5. Ensure the wireless voice and data equipment is only used when the employee is away
from their desk due to attendance at meetings, or out of the building in route to meetings,
on travel, on-call at home, or in locations where the use of a land-line telephone is not
readily available.
6. Ensure the wireless voice equipment is not used as a primary communication device.
Excessive usage would be considered an abuse of the equipment and airtime and is
subject to auditing.
7. Maintain possession of the equipment. Failure to properly store or maintain the
equipment that results in loss or damage may result in the employee being found
negligent and being billed for replacements or repair.
8. Return the cell phone or air card to the forest coordinator when transferring or leaving the
forest.
9. Understand there is no expectation of privacy with government provided
telecommunications equipment. Records and usage of any equipment can be requested
and examined by management at any time, without prior notification of the employee.
6640.6 - Plans and Acquisitions
6640.62 - Acquisitions
Coconino NF Supplement
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/2/2010
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6640 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Wireless communications equipment and plans will be requested and approved using the
“Wireless Voice and Data Equipment Justification and Request Form” located in Appendix A.
APPENDIX A
Wireless Voice and Data Equipment Justification and Request Form
Coconino National Forest
JUSTIFICATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Business Case Justification: This request is submitted in accordance with Forest Service
Manual (FSM) 6600-Systems Management, Chapter 6640-Telecommunications and the
Coconino National Forest supplement. Wireless voice and data equipment and related services,
are in place for the conduct of official business and must be justified based on a costperformance basis and a business need.
Line Officers and/or Designates Responsibilities: The use of wireless voice or data
technology does not relieve Staffs from inventory control, billing accountability, and appropriate
acquisition justification.
Employee Responsibilities:
1. Ensure service and equipment are utilized for authorized activities only and in
compliance with all agency regulations, including safety. See Departmental Regulation
3300-1 regarding limited personal use of government office equipment.
2. Be cognizant that airtime is a government resource and must not be used for personal
business.
3. Do not use the wireless voice or data equipment as a convenience when a government
land line telephone or a commercial land line telephone is available and is more cost
effective to use.
4. Recognize it is neither appropriate nor cost-effective to use wireless voice equipment in
conjunction with the government calling card.
5. Ensure the wireless voice and equipment is only used when are away from their desk due
to attendance at meetings, or out of the building in route to meetings, on travel, on-call at
home, or in locations where the use of a land-line telephone is not readily available.
6. Ensure the wireless voice equipment is not be used as a primary communication device.
Excessive usage would be considered an abuse of the equipment and airtime and is
subject to auditing.
7. Maintain possession of the equipment. Failure to properly store or maintain the
equipment that results in loss or damage may result in the employee being found
negligent and being billed for replacements or repair.
8. Return the cell phone or air card to the forest coordinator when transferring or leaving the
Coconino NF Supplement
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/2/2010
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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FSM 6600 - SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 6640 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
forest.
9. Understand there is no expectation of privacy with government provided
telecommunications equipment. Records and usage of any equipment can be requested
and examined by management at any time, without prior notification of the employee.
10. Read and understand the Forest Service manual and supplement referenced above.
Objectives of Requested Items: Wireless voice and data equipment is to be used to conduct
government business by Coconino National Forest personnel and not to replace desktop
telephones, government calling cards, computer system, or a properly functioning Forest Radio
System.
Rationale for Proposed System over Alternatives: Wireless voice equipment is for an
employee to conduct business when away from their home unit. The employee would have
communications with contractors, other government personnel, including supervisors, to
coordinate work in a more efficient manner. Wireless voice equipment shall be used only when
access to a land-line (for local calls) or access to a land-line using an government calling card
(for long distance calls) is unavailable. Wireless data equipment shall be used only when other
internet access is not available.
Employee Name & Phone No:
Staff/Unit Name:
Employee/Unit’s Mailing Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Benefit/Cost Analysis:
Business Case Justification: (Explain why the employee needs a phone and why other communication systems (FS phone
system, government calling cards, FS radio) are not sufficient.)
Is this for new, upgrade or change in service?
New Service without text messaging capability
New Service with text messaging capability
250 text messages - $5/month additional cost
500 text messages - $10/month additional cost
unlimited text messages - $20/month additional cost
Coconino NF Supplement
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/2/2010
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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CHAPTER 6640 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Region 3 subscribes to Verizon Share-plan 300. Minutes are 300 per month for each cell phone and shared across
the Coconino National Forest’s account. It is Forest policy when a new phone is ordered a car charger and case will
also be ordered with the phone. Please Note: Additional accessories for government issued wireless voice
equipmen may be purchased separately by the staff’s authorized government credit card holder.
Upgrade If upgrade, what is current cell phone number:
Change Service Add texting capability, current cell phone number:
250 text messages - $5/month additional cost
500 text messages - $10/month additional cost
unlimited text messages - $20/month additional cost
Change Service Remove texting capability, current cell phone number:
Broadband aircard (unlimited data usage)
I have read and fully understood the “Employee Responsibilities”.
Employee’s Name (PRINTED):
Employee’s Signature:
I recommend the “Business Case Justification” provided by the employee for the issuance of government wireless voice
equipment and service.
Supervisor’s Name (PRINTED):
Supervisor’s Signature:
I verify available funding for the cost of equipment and services utilizing the job code and unit code provided below.
Job Code / Unit Code:
Forest Staff Officer’s Name (PRINTED):
Forest Staff Officer’s Signature:
I authorize the “Business Case Justification” provided by the employee for the issuance of government wireless voice
equipment and service.
Line Officer’s or ForestStaff Officer’s Name
(PRINTED):
Line Officer’s or Forest Staff Officer’s Signature:
Coconino NF Supplement
EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/2/2010
DURATION: This amendment is effective until superseded or removed.
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6642.26 – Cell Phones
Wireless telecommunications equipment is for official business only. It is not to be used as a
convenience when a more cost-effective government or commercial phone system is available.
Government cell phones are not to be used in conjunction with a government calling card. See
Departmental Regulation 3300-1 regarding limited personal use of government office equipment.
Cell phones will be issued to employees who have a recurring need to conduct business while
away from their office and other communications systems (land-line or radio) are not available.
Employees with a need for text messaging will have that added to their accounts. All other
accounts will have text messaging blocked. Cell phones will not have data usage plans.
Employees are not to access the internet with the cell phone.
6642.29 – Broadband Cards
Broadband cards (PC aircards) will be issued to employees who consistently need access to the
internet or the Forest Service network where an internet connection is not readily available. If
cards are not needed for specific periods of the year, they will be deactivated.