Interoperability

"At a recent hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly remarked that a 16-year-old with a smartphone has more advanced communications capability than a police officer or deputy 'carrying a radio.' The failings of public safety communications systems include both interoperability--with the limitations of current systems becoming tragically apparent on 9/11 and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and opperability with the cost-effectiveness and performance of traditional public safety devices trailing well behind those provided by modern commercial cellular operators. With the emerging rollout of commercial services marketed as 4G, LTE-based wireless services, there is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the effectiveness of our first responders through a national strategy to develop and deploy a nationwide wireless broadband network for public safety. Such a broadband service promises to enhance the effectiveness of public safety agencies and, if developed appropriately, can also ultimately replace their legacy (and very expensive) communications infrastructure and devices. This report explains how the President's Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative can facilitate the transition away from the traditional, fragmented world of public safety communications to a next generation system. It begins by providing the relevant context, explaining, among other things, the drawbacks of today's systems, and it concludes by discussing benefits and opportunities made possible by a successful transition to an LTE-based nationwide network. In so doing, it recognizes that this transition will take some time and, in order for it to be successful, it must planned carefully, coordinated effectively, and begin as soon as possible."

In this podcast, a Navy Petty Officer First Class from the USNORTHCOM Public Affairs Office discusses the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID), which "allows military, state, and local operators, along with international partners, to test new technologies designed to solve the communications and coordination difficulties between multiple federal, state, local and military responders." Various participants discuss the different elements of CWID, as well as the importance of interoperability with different agencies. The podcast runs 4 minutes, 18 seconds long. Quicktime, ITunes, or Windows Media Player is required to play the file, which will begin playing immediately upon clicking the link.

"Standard operating procedures are one of the five 'critical success factors' essential for interoperable communications. This Issue Brief will describe: 1) the public safety community's need for standard operating procedure (SOP) models; 2) the SOP models that are available for use; 3) the five-step SOP development and testing process; 4) the critical importance of involving end users to ensure operational utility (that the policies actually work in the real world); and 5) the expected operational benefits."

EO 12382 establishes "the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee which shall be composed of no more than 30 members. These members shall have particular knowledge and expertise in the field of telecommunications and represent elements of the Nation's telecommunications industry. Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the President. [...] The Committee shall provide to the President, among other things, information and advice from the perspective of the telecommunications industry with respect to the implementation of Presidential Directive 53 (PD/NSC-53), National Security Telecommunications Policy."

"Federal agencies that are within The Department of Homeland Security have many missions to support the security of the United States. One mission concurrent with this thesis topic is Maritime Interdiction Operations, which protects America's maritime borders from all intrusions by halting the flow of illegal drugs, aliens, and contraband into the United States through maritime routes. All government agencies within The Department of Homeland Security are continuing to focus their effort in sharing critical data to improve their situational awareness (SA) of command and control (C2), to make quicker decisions, and to collaborate with remote experts in support of another possible terrorist attack. Unfortunately this effort is being accomplished without the foresight of interoperability of existing databases throughout the interagency within The Department of Homeland Security. The lack of interoperability of these databases between the interagency continues to be a major issue in the security and safety to our nation's maritime ports. This thesis will discuss the lack of interoperability of databases between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The need and urgency to collaborate these vital databases into one unified decentralized network--to store and retrieve critical information to protect our maritime ports of entry, when needed, to protect our nation from any possible future threats that may harm our nation--is also stressed."

"Interoperability Technology Today is published quarterly by the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at no cost to subscribers. Its mission is to provide the emergency response community, policy makers, and local officials with information about interoperability initiatives nationwide, best practices, and lessons learned." This edition includes the following articles: "Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria Counties EOCs [Emergency Operations Center] First to Integrate CAD-to-CAD [Computer-Aided Dispatch] Interoperable System" and "In Memory of Jim Thomas".

"From 2003 through 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) awarded 65 grants totaling $250 million to local law enforcement agencies across the United States under its Interoperable Communications Technology Program (ICTP). The purpose of these grants was to fund projects that explored uses of equipment and technologies to increase interoperability and data information sharing among the law enforcement, fire service, and emergency medical service communities. With thorough and rigorous planning, these projects helped to demonstrate how new technologies and operating methods could help communities achieve interoperability. This report describes the findings of an ICTP assessment study conducted by the Institute for Law and Justice (ILJ), in which they examined the grant implementation process of the ICTP grantees. The report describes successful practices to improve interoperability and build stronger multiagency and multidisciplinary partnerships. It also highlights ten best practices that could help improve agencies in both critical incident and day-to-day operations."

"The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) developed this brochure in collaboration with SAFECOM and the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators, with the support and input of public safety officials at multiple levels of government across the country. This brochure will 1) help educate the public safety community and elected and appointed officials about the future of emergency communications; 2) describe the evolution of emergency communications and how traditional land mobile radio (LMR) communications used today may converge with wireless broadband in the future if specific requirements are met; and 3) further discuss some of the most important requirements that must be met to achieve the desired long-term state of convergence."

"This instruction establishes policy, procedures, and responsibilities, consistent with the guidance in Enclosure G, for achieving international military RSI agreements with allies and other friendly nations in the areas of operations, doctrine, materiel [sic], training, logistics, and in-service equipment. This instruction does not apply to terminology."

"Emergency responders across the nation rely on land mobile radio (LMR) systems to gather and share information and coordinate their response efforts during emergencies. These public safety communication systems are fragmented across thousands of federal, state, and local jurisdictions and often lack 'interoperability,' or the ability to communicate across agencies and jurisdictions. To supplement the LMR systems, in 2007, radio frequency spectrum was dedicated for a nationwide public safety broadband network. Presently, 22 jurisdictions around the nation have obtained permission to build public safety broadband networks on the original spectrum assigned for broadband use. This requested report examines (1) the investments in and capabilities of LMR systems; (2) plans for a public safety broadband network and its expected capabilities and limitations; (3) challenges to building this network; and (4) factors that affect the prices of handheld LMR devices. GAO [Government Accountability Office] conducted a literature review, visited jurisdictions building broadband networks, and interviewed federal, industry, and public safety stakeholders, as well as academics and experts. […] The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should work with partners to identify and communicate opportunities for joint procurement of public safety LMR devices. In commenting on a draft of this report, DHS agreed with the recommendation. GAO also received technical comments, which have been incorporated, as appropriate, in the report."

"Since September 11, 2001, when communications failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. Yet the United States has continued to strive for a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. To address this problem, Congress included provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. [Public Law] 112-96) for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications, and assigned additional spectrum to accommodate the new network. In addition, the act has designated federal appropriations of over $7 billion for the network and other public safety needs. These funds will be provided through new revenue from the auction of spectrum licenses. The cost of construction of a nationwide network for public safety is estimated by experts to be in the tens of billions of dollars over the long term, with similarly large sums needed for maintenance and operation. In expectation that public-private partnerships to build the new network will reduce costs to the public sector, the law has provided requirements and guidelines for shared use."

"The United States has yet to find a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. Since September 11, 2001, when communications failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. The 111th Congress considered pivotal issues, such as radio frequency spectrum license allocation and funding programs for a Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN), without finding a solution that satisfied the expectations of both public safety and commercial network operators. Congressional initiatives to advance public policies for Next Generation 911 services (NG9-1-1) also remained incomplete. The 112th Congress is under renewed pressure to come to a decision about the assignment of a block of radio frequency spectrum licenses referred to as the D Block, and to provide a plan for federal support of broadband networks for emergency communications. The cost of constructing new networks (wireless and wireline) is estimated by experts to be in the tens of billions of dollars over the long term, with similarly large sums needed for maintenance and operation. Identifying money for federal support in the current climate of budget constraints provides a challenge to policy makers. The greater challenge, however, may be to assure that funds are spent effectively toward the national goals that Congress sets."

"Every day in cities and towns across the Nation, emergency response personnel respond to incidents of varying scope and magnitude. Their ability to communicate in real time is critical to establishing command and control at the scene of an emergency, to maintaining event situational awareness, and to operating overall within a broad range of incidents. However, as numerous after-action reports and national assessments have revealed, there are still communications deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage routine incidents and support responses to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other incidents. Recognizing the need for an overarching emergency communications strategy to address these shortfalls, Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) to develop the first National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 United States Code 101 et seq.), as amended, calls for the NECP to be developed in coordination with stakeholders from all levels of government and from the private sector. In response, DHS worked with stakeholders from Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies to develop the NECP--a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency communications."

From the executive summary: "Over the past twenty years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has acquired a diverse portfolio of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) across the Military Services to meet its national security needs. Newly emergent threats and evolving national security requirements are prompting the DoD to re-evaluate its entire portfolio of systems, while at the same time, seeking to reduce the total ownership costs including life cycle sustainment costs of these systems. The anticipated reduction in defense spending in concert with advances in information technology provides ample opportunity for DoD to rethink how it acquires, designs, and builds its systems. As a result, DoD is adopting and exploiting open system design principles and architectures to increase competition, foster reuse across systems, and increase interoperability. This new acquisition model requires access to multi-vendor solutions to enable rapid insertion of new technologies to counter emerging threats, avoid technology obsolescence, and decrease time to field new capabilities. DoD is adopting an Open Business Model (OBM) to support the implementation of an Open Architecture (OA) for UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) in order to drive greater acquisition efficiencies and reduce the total ownership costs. This new model is built upon several lessons learned from the Navy's own open architecture efforts in the submarine community when it radically changed its approach to building weapon systems due to an emerging threat from an adversary in conjunction with declining budget."

"The Federal Government and public safety community are harnessing advanced communications technologies to deploy a nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) to enhance emergency communications. The vision and need for the NPSBN has been referenced by multiple critical national security reports, including the 9/11 Commission Report, the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 2006 Independent Advisory Committee's 'Report on the Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned', and the 2007 'NSTAC [National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee] Report to the President on Emergency Communications and Interoperability'. The FCC's 2010 'National Broadband Plan' also called for the need of an NPSBN and in February 2011, the Federal Government released the 'Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative', which emphasized the Administration's commitment to creating such a network by calling for a $10.7 billion investment for the NPSBN."

"The convergence of wireless telecommunications technology with the Internet Protocol (IP) is fostering new generations of mobile technologies. This transformation has created new demands for advanced communications infrastructure and radio frequency spectrum capacity that can support high-speed, content-rich uses. Furthermore, a number of services, in addition to consumer and business communications, rely at least in part on wireless links to broadband (highspeed/ high-capacity) infrastructure such as the Internet and IP-enabled networks. Policies to provide additional spectrum for mobile broadband services are generally viewed as drivers that would stimulate technological innovation and economic growth. The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-96, signed February 22, 2012) included provisions to expedite the availability of spectrum for commercial use. These include expediting auctions of licenses for spectrum designated for mobile broadband; authorizing incentive auctions, which would permit television broadcasters to receive compensation for steps they might take to release some of their airwaves for mobile broadband; requiring that specified federal holdings be auctioned or reassigned for commercial use; and providing for the availability of spectrum for unlicensed use. […] Increasing the amount of spectrum available to support new mobile technologies is one step toward meeting future demand for mobile services. This report discusses some of the commercial and federal spectrum policy changes required by the act. It also summarizes new policy directions for spectrum management under consideration in the 112th Congress, such as the encouragement of new technologies that use spectrum more efficiently."

In this press release, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announces the October 1, 2004, launch of the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility, along with the release of tools designed to help state and local public safety practitioners improve communications interoperability. The Office of Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC), part of the Science & Technology directorate, will oversee the wide range of public safety interoperability programs and efforts currently spread across Homeland Security. These programs address critical interoperability issues relating to public safety and emergency response, including communications, equipment, training, and other areas as needs are identified.

From the opening statement of John D. Rockefeller IV: "Although strides have been made across the country in interoperability, mostly in big cities, we are still far from where we need to be. Although strides have been made, we have so much more to do. More importantly, tragedy does not know boundaries. Besides New York or Washington, emergencies occur every day in urban and rural communities all across the country. We do not hear about them. We do not read about them unless it is a Virginia Tech type of event, but they happen all the time. We live with them, and we should not have to live with them. Whether it is terrorism or a tornado or a hurricane or a brush fire, one thing is universally true, when an emergency happens, who do we rely on? We rely on first responders like police, fire fighters, and public safety officials of all kinds to keep us from harm. Far too often, we talk about the important role that these brave first responders play, but then we turn around and we fail to give them the tools they need to do their job. So we are full of praise, but we are not full of help. We are trying to redress that situation." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Charles E. Schumer, Olympia J. Snowe, Raymond W. Kelly, Peter T. King, Jack Markell, Al H. Gillespie, Joseph L. Hanna, Claire McCaskill, Olympia J. Snowe, Amy Klobuchar, John D. Rockefeller IV, Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Boozman, Mark Warner, Tom Udall, John Thune, and Roy Blunt.

From the opening statement of Laura Richardson:" Today we will be discussing the broadband's plan and recommendation for building a Nation-wide, interoperable, public safety communications network. […] This broadband network would be able to one, support and exchange large amounts of data, including photos and video. It would allow first responders to easily communicate across agencies and jurisdictions. Ultimately, it would usher in a new generation of emergency response. The need for a Nation-wide broadband network was first really brought to, I think, an alarming point when we had the experience after 9/11 and also with our now soon-to-be 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In both disasters, response operations were severely hampered because public safety was unable to communicate effectively with one other. But today, nearly 10 years later, after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, we are still waiting. I must say as Chairwoman of this committee it is very disappointing. The FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] National Broadband Plan provides for a strategy for reaching this goal by auctioning the 10 megahertz of spectrum known as D Block to commercial interests as establishing a public-private partnership for its use." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Laura Richardson, Mike Rogers, James Arden Barnett, Jr., Gregory Schaffer, Jeffrey D. Johnson, Charles F. Dowd, Robert A. Legrande, II, and Eric Graham.

From the opening statement of Peter T. King: "The committee is meeting today to hear testimony on the state of public safety communications in order to identify where progress has been made since the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, and where shortfalls remain. We will examine issues such as the reallocation of the D Block, the need for a National interoperable public safety wireless broadband network, the National broadband plan and the extent of coordination between Federal, State, and local partners." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Peter T. King, Bennie G. Thompson, John E. "Jack" Parow, William "Bill" D. Carrow, Paul H. Fitzgerald, Gregory L. Simay, Jim Mullen, and Laura Richardson.

From the opening statement of Greg Walden: "We are here this morning to have a productive discussion of how spectrum policy can advance public safety, promote broadband, generate revenue for the U.S. Treasury, and create jobs. This hearing will focus on how we can bring new and innovative tools to our Nation's first responders. Look, we all share the goal of providing America's first responders with a state-of-the-art communications network. We are by no means the first Congress to attempt to bring public safety these tools. Interoperable public safety communication has been an objective of this country since even before the tragic events of September 11 of 2001. Yet even though Congress and the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] have tried time and again to provide the tools and impetus to make this a reality, today's public safety users are only marginally closer to the interoperable communications they need. We are here to get it right this time. Now, what we are not here to do is to point fingers for past failures. Nobody doubts the good intentions and the hard work of those who have worked on this issue in the past. But the fact remains we have not been successful. Today's hearing gives us an opportunity to hear the lessons of the public safety community, the wireless sector, and the engineers who make wireless networks work. Taking the innovation and expertise of the wireless industry alongside the bravery and knowledge of the public safety community, we can all work to provide needed resources to both. The successful creation and management of an interoperable public safety network will need to focus on four elements: spectrum, equipment, governance, and funding." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Greg Walden, Anna G. Eshoo, Fred Upton, Joe Barton, Henry A. Waxman, Cliff Stearns, John D. Dingell, Joseph R. Hanley, Chris Imlay, Paul Steinberg, Dennis Martinez, Jeffrey D. Johnson, and Joseph L. Hanna.

"The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (P.L. No. 110-53) authorizes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) to establish the Border Interoperability Demonstration Project (BIDP). BIDP is a $25.5 million one-time, competitive program to provide funding and technical assistance to U.S. communities along the Canadian and Mexican borders. The legislation authorizes DHS to select no fewer than six communities to participate--at least three along the U.S.-Canadian border and at least three along the U.S.-Mexican border."

"Interoperability is as much or more about human teamwork than it is about compatible machines and processes. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operational deployments, without respite since 1992, have spawned a nascent culture of multinational planning and operational teamwork among a host of militaries. This coalition culture is emerging in the same way as the joint operations culture has grown across the U.S. military since the watershed Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. A generation of military leaders has become knowledgeable, comfortable, and successful (though often under great stress) in multinational operations. By 2014, when NATO anticipates turning over its operations in Afghanistan to national responsibility, allied militaries will have been deployed together in combat and postconflict land, maritime, and air operations for more than 20 years. Junior through senior leaders will have experience in planning operations and commanding forces in life and death situations. A substantial percentage of these will have experienced multiple deployments alongside the U.S. military. Arguably, the Alliance has reached a high water mark in interoperability."

"This instruction: a. In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive (DoDD) 5144.02 (Reference (a)) and the guidance in DoDD 8000.01 (Reference (b)): (1) Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides direction for certifying the interoperability of IT [information technology] and NSS [National Security Systems] pursuant to sections 2222, 2223, and 2224 of Title 10, United States Code (Reference (c)). (2) Establishes a capability-focused, architecture-based approach for interoperability analysis. (3) Establishes the governing policy and responsibilities for interoperability requirements development, test, certification and prerequisite for connection of IT, including NSS (referred to in this instruction as 'IT'). (4) Defines a doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) approach to enhance life-cycle interoperability of IT. (5) Establishes the requirement for enterprise services to be certified for interoperability. b. Incorporates and cancels DoDD 4630.05, DoDI 4630.8, and DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO) memorandum (References (d), (e), and (f))."

"SAFECOM is a communications program of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC). SAFECOM provides--with its federal partners--research, guidance, tools, and templates on communications-related issues to local, tribal, state, and federal public safety agencies. SAFECOM believes that any successful effort to improve public safety communications interoperability must take into account the views of first responders on the front lines in large, small, rural, and urban communities across this Nation. This document presents general information about the role, structure, and operations of governing bodies charged with improving communications interoperability at the local, regional, tribal, or state level. Material and information presented here should be viewed as general guidance that individual communities should consider in establishing interoperability-related governance that reflects their specific needs. The material is organized as follows: 1, New Perspectives on Governance: An explanation of why sound governance is important, some common barriers to setting up governance structures, and how governance relates to the overall challenge of achieving communications interoperability. 2. The SAFECOM Approach: An overview of the general principles for sound governance developed and promulgated by SAFECOM. 3. Recommended Governance Structure: Characteristics of successful governance models, characteristics of effective bylaws, examples of governance roles and responsibilities, and a discussion of performance measures. 4. Conclusion: A summary of the general governance recommendations. 5. Appendix A: Governance in Action: A discussion of the lessons learned and methods used for communications interoperability governance models used by communities across the country."

This document from the Department of Homeland Security answers the following questions regarding the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP): "What is the National Emergency Communications Plan?" "How was the NECP developed and what stakeholders participated in the creation of the Plan?" "What are the goals and the vision of the NECP?" "Who will be responsible for implementing the NECP?" "Is the NECP the next step in the department's January 2007 assessment of state and local interoperable communications? How does it relate to what the department has already done?" "How did the department's survey of state and local efforts on interoperable communications factor into the development of the NECP?" "Will state and locals be required to meet NECP goals?" "Will grant funding be linked to the NECP?" "Last year, DHS provided $1b in grants to state and locals for interoperable communications. What progress has been made?" "How will the NECP affect the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans (SCIP) and Tactical Interoperable Communications Plans (TICP)?" "Will the NECP impose unfunded mandates on State, local, or tribal governments?" "What amount of grant funding is available to help States and territories implement the NECP?" "What is the difference between the Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program and the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP)?" and "How does the NECP relate to the National Response Framework?"

This Federal Communications Commission offers information regarding "the National Broadband Plan lays out a bold roadmap to America's future. These initiatives will stimulate economic growth, spur job creation, and boost our capabilities in education, healthcare, homeland security and more. Explore the Plan below and learn more about how affordable, high-speed broadband access will help America lead in the 21st century."

This document presents the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's national emergency communications plan. "Every day in cities and towns across the Nation, emergency response personnel respond to incidents of varying scope and magnitude. Their ability to communicate in real time is critical to establishing command and control at the scene of an emergency, to maintaining event situational awareness, and to operating overall within a broad range of incidents. As numerous after-action reports and national assessments1 have revealed, however, there are still communications deficiencies that affect the ability of responders to manage routine incidents and support responses to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other incidents. Recognizing the need for an overarching emergency communications strategy to address these shortfalls, Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) to develop the first National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 United States Code 101 et seq.), as amended, calls for the NECP to be developed in coordination with stakeholders from all levels of government and from the private sector. In response, DHS worked with stakeholders from the Federal, State, local, and tribal levels to develop the NECP-a strategic plan that establishes a national vision for the future state of emergency communications." This document was updated on August 7, 2008 and the revised version can also be found in the Homeland Security Digital Library collection.

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) recognizes that technology plays a critical role in the achievement of communications interoperability; however, it remains equally important that the procedures and training emergency responders use are interoperable and compatible as well. Seamless communications interoperability will be achieved when emergency response officials can be deployed anywhere in the country, use his or her own radio to communicate with other responders, and use the compatible standard operating procedures (SOPs) he or she has been trained on in their respective jurisdictions. Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans (SCIPs) are a critical step in achieving communications interoperability not only within each State, but also across the country. The SCIP is a mechanism to align emergency responders at all levels in the State on a future vision for communications interoperability. Further, it serves as a roadmap for all agencies and jurisdictions in terms of the direction for moving forward and addressing communications interoperability issues at the State, regional, local, and tribal level. [...] This document also summarizes how the SCIPs currently have strategies that will align to the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP). The NECP provides recommended initiatives to guide emergency response providers and relevant government officials in making measurable improvements in emergency communications capabilities. With the development and approval of all 56 SCIPs, the Nation has arrived at a crucial launching point for coordinating and improving statewide communications interoperability and planning efforts. This document presents the collective assessment of the current state of the Nation's emergency response interoperable communications and identifies initiatives to guide the Nation, States, localities, and tribes towards improved interoperable communications."

"Under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was assigned 'primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of Smart Grid devices and systems…' [EISA Section 1305] There is an urgent need to establish Smart Grid standards and protocols. Some Smart Grid devices, such as smart meters, are being widely deployed. Installation of synchrophasors, sensors that provide real-time assessments of power system health to provide system operators with better information for averting disastrous outages, has accelerated rapidly. By 2013, it is expected that approximately 1,000 of these devices will monitor conditions on the power grid, a dramatic increase since January 2009. In late October 2009, President Obama announced 100 Smart Grid Investment Grant Program awards totaling $3.4 billion. This federal investment leveraged an additional $4.7 billion in commitments from private companies, utilities, cities, and other partners that are forging ahead with plans to install Smart Grid technologies and enable an array of efficiency-maximizing and performance-optimizing applications. At the end of 2009, the number of Smart Grid projects in the United States exceeded 130 projects spread across 44 states and two territories."

"This document describes the assembly and deployment of a communications interoperability capability designed for use in situations in which communications interoperability is required in conjunction with secure communications. The focus of this report is on a project conducted with the Syracuse, New York, Police Department, using an ACU-1000 Intelligent Interconnect System."

From the thesis abstract: "This research paper reviews current emergency management capability to respond to significant incidents, both natural and manmade. In such incidents, multiple agencies must respond, manage forces, and provide critical support as a cohesive team. These organizations span the gamut of local, tribal, state, and federal levels of government and of the private sector. They include the broad range of first responders, fire, medical, and police. The unity of effort needed to provide timely, efficient, and integrated responses can only be achieved through effective command, control, and communication within and among responding forces. A unified response requires interoperable communications among all agencies, at all levels. Responders need a mechanism to track all responding forces. All responders must share a common operating picture that fuses and displays disparate data. This paper reviews current national policies, procedures, and technologies for managing large-scale emergencies. It identifies challenges and opportunities for improvement. It concludes with recommendations for implementing a nationwide interoperable communications system which will facilitate formulation of a common operating picture for first responders."

"This thesis explores the idea of consolidating police and fire departments as a unique way to deliver public safety services to communities in an integrated fashion. It investigates how the uniqueness of this concept can fit into our plan to prevent, protect, respond, and mitigate interrelated challenges in a fully coordinated approach. The main claim of this study is that the consolidation of police and fire services enhances communication among disciplines, creates unified leadership and command, and aids in attaining a high level of comprehensive emergency response and planning--and that this improves the execution of the homeland security mission. Through a comparative case study, the research focuses on the history and organizational design of three consolidated departments; the perspective they have towards collaboration and homeland security; and the reported advantages and challenges attributed to these models. The thesis will use the homeland security mission as a backdrop in order to examine the concept of consolidation through comparative case studies. As our country continues to deal with multifaceted threats that force our disparate organizations to integrate in a unified effort; what are the contributions that the consolidation of police and fire services have on the homeland security mission?"

From the thesis abstract: "The threat of degradation or disruption from cyber infiltration, espionage, and theft to militarily and nationally critical information and network systems poses a significant challenge to DoD [Department of Defense] and DON [Department of the Navy]. To mitigate this challenge, network administrators must be trained to properly recognize and defend against malicious activity. The Malicious Activity Simulation Tool (MAST), a software program under development at NPS [Naval Postgraduate School], mimics the behavior and impact of network-based malware in an effort to train the administrators of operational DoD networks both to respond to the threats such materials present to their networks and to assess their competence in recognizing and responding to such threats. In order for MAST to achieve its potential as an acceptable assessment and training tool, it must first be shown to present no new threat to the environment for which it was designed. This thesis develops a step-by-step testing procedure, the execution of which will demonstrate that MAST can perform at a level commensurate with current criteria for operating securely on DoD networks. Additionally, this thesis discusses the quantitative testing environment and current testing and implementation methods and criteria for new cyber hardware and software programs of record in the DoD."

"This thesis explores how shared governance mitigates risk related to multi-agency, multi-discipline interoperable radio communications projects. Case study research focused on two California counties, Marin and Monterey, to discover how shared governance emerged to mitigate financial, managerial and discipline risk. The significance of this research identifies the elements of shared governance that can lead to the successful implementation of interoperable radio communications projects. Findings indicate that shared governance emerges over time and is influenced by existing professional relationships. Metaleaders are individuals take the sum of their professional experience (roles) and use that experience to facilitate shared need and common understanding between all participants. Finally, public safety tradition and culture will impact the development of shared governance solutions and can inhibit or facilitate shared governance solutions."

"Concerns about inadequate radio communications at the scene of disasters predate 9/11, and have been a focal point of homeland security funding since 2001. Under the umbrella term 'interoperability,' grant funding is facilitating the recent deployment of equipment to allow field personnel to patch radio systems together, with the expectation of immediate improvement of emergency scene communications dysfunction. This thesis argues that there are numerous causal factors for inadequate disaster communications. Communications impediments include insufficient radio infrastructure, behavioral reactions by people in stressful situations, intergovernmental relations, inadequate procedures and training, and general lethargy over the need to institute special operating policies differing from routine practices. The sole reliance upon technological solutions, without proportionate training and practice greatly reduces the effectiveness of radio patching equipment. Quite opposite from the intended effect, patching equipment, in the hands of those only minimally acclimated to radio system architecture, is likely to trigger unintended consequences of chaotic system overload (by combining two or more busy channels) and sector vulnerability (by combining unsecured general public systems with previously isolated public safety systems). Our goal is to provide a thought-provoking examination of the entire realm of emergency scene communications issues and practical recommendations beyond superficial technological solutions."

"SAFECOM is managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (OEC). Through these partnerships, SAFECOM has created key documents such as the Interoperability Continuum, the Statement of Requirements (SoR) for baseline communications and interoperability standards, the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP) Methodology, and the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to assist emergency responders nationwide with improving communications and interoperability. Through collaboration with emergency responders and elected officials across all levels of government, SAFECOM works to improve emergency response providers' inter-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary emergency communications interoperability across local, regional, tribal, State, territorial, international borders, and with Federal government entities. SAFECOM works with existing Federal communications programs and key emergency response stakeholders to address the need to develop better technologies and processes for the coordination of existing communications systems and future networks. This website provides members of the emergency response community and other stakeholders with resources created by SAFECOM and its partner organizations to improve public safety interoperability. It offers comprehensive information on topics relevant to emergency response communications and features best practices that have evolved from real-world situations."

"Standard operating procedures are one of the five 'critical success factors' essential for interoperable communications. This Issue Brief will describe: 1) the public safety community's need for standard operating procedure (SOP) models; 2) the SOP models that are available for use; 3) the five-step SOP development and testing process; 4) the critical importance of involving end users to ensure operational utility (that the policies actually work in the real world); and 5) the expected operational benefits."

"The ISE [Information Sharing Environment] is a partnership for responsible sharing of terrorism-related information between the law enforcement, public safety, defense, intelligence, homeland security, and diplomatic communities. It extends to all levels of government -- federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial; and incorporates private sector partners and international allies. This Sixth Annual Report to the Congress on the state of the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) examines the extent to which the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) terrorism information sharing mandate is being implemented by agencies that possess or use information about terrorism, operate a system in the ISE, or participate in the ISE. This Report, which PM-ISE [Program Manager - Information Sharing Environment] is submitting on behalf of the President, incorporates input from our mission partners and uses their initiatives and PM-ISE's management activities to provide a cohesive narrative on the state and progress of terrorism-related responsible information sharing, including its impact on our collective ability to secure the nation and our national interests. This Report describes how agencies have fared against established performance measures and highlights accomplishments, including illustrative examples of ISE progress toward the responsible information sharing goals derived from IRTPA [Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004], presidential guidelines in support of the ISE, and the National Strategy for Information Sharing. It covers PM-ISE's reporting responsibilities pertaining to the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG). PM-ISE also supports aspects of information sharing in other domains, such as maritime, primarily to promote cross-domain information integration in the pursuit of strengthening national security through responsible information sharing. The activities and accomplishments of ISE departments and agencies are bringing us ever closer to achieving our vision of greater national security through more effective information sharing."

"Emergency response teams across the Nation require reliable and interoperable chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) equipment that can be used with confidence for the protection of life, health, property, and commerce. The United States Government will, together with commercial and end-user communities, facilitate the development and implementation of national consensus CBRNE standards and establish an enduring capability to coordinate, prioritize, and implement those standards. It is the vision of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) to establish and coordinate implementation of an integrated standards development approach that spans the full spectrum of standards, including performance, interoperability, test and evaluation, conformity assessment, operating procedures, training, and certification. This will assure that equipment is reliable and interoperable, and provides consistent and accurate results. This Strategy describes the elements of a standards and testing infrastructure needed to counter CBRNE threats. The Subcommittee has consulted across the Federal government to identify research efforts and current practices with respect to performance specifications and test methods, as well as standards development needs. The Subcommittee recognizes that the CBRNE mission may be only one component of what users do each and every day. Therefore, the goals reflect not just the technical performance of the technology, but the interoperability with their suite of equipment, as well as concepts of operations involved in their deployment and the training of the users."

"SAFECOM is managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (OEC). Through these partnerships, SAFECOM has created key documents such as the Interoperability Continuum, the Statement of Requirements (SoR) for baseline communications and interoperability standards, the Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP) Methodology, and the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to assist emergency responders nationwide with improving communications and interoperability. Through collaboration with emergency responders and elected officials across all levels of government, SAFECOM works to improve emergency response providers' inter-jurisdictional and interdisciplinary emergency communications interoperability across local, regional, tribal, State, territorial, international borders, and with Federal government entities. SAFECOM works with existing Federal communications programs and key emergency response stakeholders to address the need to develop better technologies and processes for the coordination of existing communications systems and future networks. This website provides members of the emergency response community and other stakeholders with resources created by SAFECOM and its partner organizations to improve public safety interoperability. It offers comprehensive information on topics relevant to emergency response communications and features best practices that have evolved from real-world situations."