1

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Communications Security, Reliability and

Interoperability Council (CSRIC)

Working Group 1A - Public Safety Consolidation - Best Practices and Recommendations

2

Working Group 1A - Public Safety Consolidation - Scoping

• Public safety radio systems and communications/dispatch centers were historically built and operated by single agencies for their own users.  

• Systems were designed to meet unique local requirements, often led to incompatibility, inefficient use of scarce resources, and higher costs for specialized equipment and procedures with little opportunity to benefit from economies of scale.

• Clear trend over the last 20 years towards public safety system consolidation, with radio networks developed to cover counties, regions, and even states. 

• Similarly, jurisdictions have merged their communications/dispatch centers across agencies and jurisdictions.  

• The consolidation process poses numerous challenges, however, from operational, governance, funding and technical perspectives. 

• This Working Group will define these challenges and develop recommended best practices for overcoming them for CSRIC’s consideration. 

• A key issue is how to assist agencies in the transition from system operator to system user.

3

Working Group MembersMember Organization

Chair Martha Carter Caddo Parish, Louisiana CommunicationsCo-Chair Mike Alagna MotorolaBailey, Robert "Gil" Jr. Harrison County, MS ECCBaucom, James Dennis National Association of Telecom Officers and AdvisorsBostrom, Kevin NORCOM 911 Bellevue, WABrennan, Charles PA Public Safety Radio ServicesDon Brittingham VerizonBrown, John J. Jr. International Association of Fire ChiefsBrownlow, Bill AASHTO-NPSTCEllison, John NENAFigved, Steve Will County, IL 911 Emergency Telecommunications SystemFinney, Bob III Collier County, FL Sheriff's OfficeFurey, Barry T Raleigh-Wake 911 CenterGoldman, Stuart Alcatel-LucentHanda, Arun Telcordia TechnologiesHinkle, William IntradoHubbard, Jeff QwestJones, Rick NENALin, Tanya Sprint NextelLipinski, Jim State of Vermont/E911 BoardMedley, Alissa ATISMerklinger, John City of Rochester/County of Monroe Emergency DepartmentMiller, Terry Washington State DOTMoore, Susan USDANash, Glen CA 911 Emergency Communications OfficePollock, Nancy APCOQuintana, Janice DC OUCRauter, Stephen Western Will County, IL CommunicationsSmith, Scot Sprint NextelVanDermyden, Mike OCIO-AIVu, Trinh ATISWahl, Thomas Liberty County, GA Public Safety CommunicationsWashburn, Stephen HHSWisely, Steve APCO

34 Members - 24 Public Safety - 8 Industry - 2 Federal Government

4

Current Events

• Kickoff meeting provided overview CSRIC’s mission, members, working groups and the mission of Working Group 1-A.

• Agreed that the work plan be broken down into three subgroups: Governance, Technology and Standard Operating Procedures.

• Agreed that another management group be created to review documents and provide an integration function.

• Members were asked to review the three sub-workgroups and associate themselves with specific areas of interest.

• Members were asked to provide their assessment of the top issues relative to the mission of the workgroup, prioritize those and identify what are the driving complexities of those issues in an effort to ultimately formulate recommendations.

• Made available organizational tools such as Extranet Data Sharing and Web Meeting. to collaborate and share information within a secure environment.

• A proposed timeline was discussed, specifically that the first draft of subgroup findings and recommendations would be due in May with another draft due in July with a final report and recommendations due in August, 2010.

• Subgroup leaders meeting to formulate the level of activities, expectations, schedules and the development of a list of recommended subject matter experts to brief the groups. .

5

Proposed Work Breakdown

Public Safety ConsolidationBest Practices

and Recommendations

Governance TechnologyStandard Operating

Procedures, Training, Exercises and Usage

•Leadership•Decision-making groups•Agreements•Funding•Strategic Planning

•System functionality•System performance•Interoperability•Continuity of communications

•Policies, Practices•Procedures •Training•Exercises•Frequency of use•Familiarity

6

Notional Schedule2/12/2010

Working group participants

finalized

2/2010

Issue scoping and work breakdown

3/2010

Subgroup leadership staffing & kick-offs 4/2010

Subgroup briefings, discussion, issue identification

5/2010First draft

subgroup findings and

recommendations5//2010

Subgroup findings & recommendations

7/2010Draft report

8/2010Final report and

recommendations

7/2010

Working group report development

6/2010

Working group roundtable discussions