1. Introduction to Breakout Session #1
Presented by
James Romlein, Breakout Session Moderator
December 14, 2005

2. Area Covered
Individuals/Organizations-to-Individuals/Organizations Emergency Communications
Categories encompass employer-to-employee, employer-to-employer, and employer-to-customer
Addresses EC through any communications channel ( , phone, radio, video, etc.) in any type of emergency (terrorist attack, natural disaster, etc.)
Includes methods and planning for communications before, during and after an event
Breakout session at December 2004 lightly attended, likely due to failure to emphasize the employer/employee aspect of this leg of emergency communications

3. Issues Discussed at 12/04 Breakout Session
Who do you contact?
Family, colleagues, local enterprises that one relies on for services
What needs to be communicated?
“I am alive, “I can’t reach someone; can you?”
When does communication take place?
Real time, afterwards
Where does the communication take place?
Within the disaster site, between the disaster site and local area
Why does communication take place?
Coordinate rescue and recovery, reassure loved ones
How does one communicate in an emergency?
Cell phone, landline phone, Internet

4. Several Challenges/Issues Identified
Government can’t compel citizen preparedness in the emergency communications area
Having a community plan to cover those without access to higher level technology (e.g., elderly, digital divide)
If plan is in place, practicing with some level of frequency to make sure plan works and people know what to do
If plan is in place, making sure that it is current with respect to latest technology and content (e.g., updated contact lists and numbers)
What do we do to bring coverage to victims wherever they are (e.g., reaching someone in an area without cell service)?

5. Challenges/Issues (Cont.)
Unpredictability of event and resources available (e.g., which communication methods will be knocked out and how will relays work)
Reaching the disabled (hearing, sight, etc.)
Language barriers (reaching non-English speakers)
Knowing who in your neighborhood is a ham/CB/etc. operator that could assist with communications
Terrestrial enhancement of GPS signals is needed (e.g., inside buildings, underground)

6. Role for Standards
Still determining role for formal standards to play in this EC area
At last workshop, some preliminary ideas using the who, what, when, where, why, how categories included:
Who? (DHS caller list from ready.gov; Employer policies for reaching employees)
What? (Japanese “I am alive program”; Pre-programmed messages in cell phones (SMS) that can be sent (help, I’m ok, etc.))
When? (Standard for redundancy; Standard for operating during a disaster and keeping communication lines up)
Where? (Standard for being able to communicate from a disaster site)
Why? (Guideline for alternate to using 9-11)
How? (Cell phone (WERT), Ham Radio (ARRL guidelines for EC))