1. Communications Interoperability Progress Tony Frater Deputy Director Office for Interoperability and Compatibility Science and Technology Directorate June 1, 2006 National Association of State Chief Information Officers 2006 Midyear Conference

2. Office for Interoperability and Compatibility The Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) is managed by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). Its purpose is to strengthen and integrate interoperability and compatibility efforts to improve local, tribal, state, and federal public safety preparedness and response. OIC addresses: Communications (SAFECOM and Disaster Management) Equipment Training Other areas as identified 2

3. Wireless interoperability is the ability of public safety service and support providers to exchange information via voice and data communications: On demand In real time When needed When authorized What is Interoperable Communications? 3

4. Practitioner-Driven Approach Lowest Highest Usage Priority Lowest Highest Local Agency- Specific Regional Inter-Agency & Inter-Disciplinary State and Federal 4

5. Disaster Management (DM) DM is an interagency initiative established by the Office of Management and Budget as one of the President’s 24 e-Government Initiatives to: Meet the Nation’s need for a single access point to disaster management information for citizens and local, tribal, state, federal, and non-governmental authorities Improve incident response (all-hazards) and recovery by creating the ability to securely share information across the Nation’s emergency management community 5

6. DM Program Components DisasterHelp.gov is an Internet-based portal containing information and services for the public and for the emergency response community (www.DisasterHelp.gov). Disaster Management Interoperability Services (DMIS) provides basic incident management software tools. Open Platform for Emergency Networks (OPEN) provides a supporting infrastructure to share incident information. Messaging standards initiative is a public-private partnership to create messaging standards for information sharing between disparate incident management systems and software applications. 6

7. DisasterHelp.gov Portal Problem: No single source for disaster- and emergency-related information. Local, tribal, and state emergency responders lack automated tools to coordinate and prepare for disaster. Audience: Emergency response community and citizens 7 DisasterHelp.gov provides: A consolidated access point for information relating to disasters Collaboration capabilities and support tools (e.g., Readiness Assessment tool) for the emergency response community

8. Disaster Management Interoperability Service (DMIS) Tools DMIS is a free software toolset that provides: The capability to securely manage incidents and exchange incident-related information between authorized parties. Basic tools and supporting infrastructure as a starter set of applications. Problem: Local and state organizations lack interoperable incident management software tools. Audience: Emergency response community. 8

9. Johnstown PA VS Release - Health service coordination - Traffic control coordination Washington, DC – IMF Protests - Continuous distributed situation awareness - Coordination among operations centers Orangeburg, SC - Anthrax hoax: On-scene data capture and rapid incident reporting - Flooding (w/ threat to area dams): Tracking critical data for coordination and decision making Ashland Boyd County, KY - Barge Sinking: Total response force coordination and map value demonstrated - Hazmat event: Coordination among 10 local, regional, and state-level organizations Frederick, MD – Blizzard Watch - Journal as action log tool - DMIS flexibility demonstrated Alachua County, FL – Severe Weather - Severe thunderstorm included reported tornado touchdown - Rapid data capture for coordination of response actions. 41 st WMD – Civil Support Team -Tracked incidents for situational awareness, in case of deployment Washington County, MD – Flooding - Coordination across the county up to the State Emergency Manager Examples of East Coast DMIS Use Laurel, MD – Hurricane Isabel -Instrumental in determining the need to evacuate apartment buildings in Laurel, MD in advance of Hurricane Isabel 9

10. Open Platform for Emergency Networks (OPEN) OPEN is an interoperability data infrastructure designed to facilitate the sharing of incident information. OPEN is an immediate solution for data interoperability for DM standards-compliant software applications. 49 vendors have developed products that interface with OPEN, facilitating data sharing among customers. Problem: Currently exchanging incident-related information between disparate systems is difficult or impossible. Audience: Emergency responder community, industry, and citizens OPEN enables secure data exchange through the use of standards-based messages. 10

11. Messaging Standards Initiative Problem: There is a lack of data messaging standards to enable emergency management software tools to share incident-related information. Audience: The full emergency response community, industry, and citizens Messaging standards will drive data systems to interoperability. Messaging standards are driven by practitioner-defined requirements and priorities, not federal agencies or industry. eXtensible Markup Language (XML) standards assist the emergency response community in sharing data securely while responding to an incident. DM works closely with industry to ensure resulting standards are implemented effectively. 11

12. SAFECOM SAFECOM is a communications program of OIC. With its federal partners, SAFECOM provides research, development, testing and evaluation, guidance, tools, and templates on communications- related issues to local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies. SAFECOM is working to improve public safety response through more effective and efficient interoperable wireless communications. SAFECOM is not authorized to procure or provide funding for communications equipment. SAFECOM is working to ensure a safer America through effective public safety communications. 12

13. Interoperability Continuum The Continuum helps the public safety community and policy makers plan and implement interoperability solutions. 13

14. Statewide Planning – SCIP Methodology The Statewide Communications Interoperability Planning (SCIP) Methodology is a result of the collaboration between SAFECOM and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the development of its strategic plan for improving statewide interoperable communications. The SCIP outlines a step-by- step planning process for developing a locally driven, statewide strategic plan to enhance communications interoperability. 14

15. National Interoperability Baseline PHASE 1 Create and Develop a Summary and Analysis of Past Interoperability Studies. PHASE 2 Develop a Descriptive and Measurable Definition for Public Safety Interoperable Communications. Develop a Methodology for Measuring the State of Interoperability. PHASE 4 Field the Execution of the Survey. PHASE 5 Formulate a Nationwide Measurement That Can be Analyzed by its Component Demographics Down to the Local Level. We Are Here. The National Interoperability Baseline project is a five-phase process that will measure the current state of communications interoperability across the Nation. Establishes a coherent picture of current communications interoperability, which will offer a yardstick to identify and drive investment needs Includes operational, governance, and technical considerations Serves as an integrated component of SAFECOM’s approach to interoperability 15 PHASE 3

16. Statement of Requirements (SoR) Developed with public safety practitioner input, the SoR defines the operational and functional requirements for public safety communications. The SoR is the first document that captures, in one place, a comprehensive set of communications requirements. Version 1.0 of the SoR was developed in 2003 and published in March 2004. Version 1.1 of the SoR was developed in 2005 and released in April 2006. The SoR will drive other SAFECOM activity, including identification of key interface standards. Driven by public safety, the SoR captures communications requirements for effective emergency response. 16

17. Public Safety Architecture Framework (PSAF) The PSAF serves as a tool to help the Nation’s emergency responder agencies understand the technical requirements and national migration path toward fully interoperable communications. The PSAF maps out the operational needs, technology, and standards for public safety communications into a framework that will help identify where gaps currently exist. Volumes I and II of the PSAF were released in March 2006. Continuously evolving, the PSAF helps public safety agencies map their own system requirements. 17

18. Federal Interoperable Communications Initiatives Includes: Community Oriented Policing Services Grantees; Office of Grants and Training’s (G&T) Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP) sites, Interoperability Communications Equipment Grantees, and Statewide Efforts; SAFECOM sites; National Governors Association Policy Academies; Department of Justice (DOJ) Metro 25 Cities 18

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