The Office of Emergency Communications

Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness

Jim Downes, Chief Federal Communications Services Division

Office of Emergency CommunicationsOctober 29, 2008

• Office of Emergency Communications Overview

• National Emergency Communications Plan

• Integrated Wireless Network Update

Agenda

Formation of OEC

OEC supports and promotes the ability of emergency responders and government officials to communicate in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters, and works to ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable and operable emergency communications nationwide.

VisionEmergency Responders can communicate As needed, on demand, as authorized At all levels of government Across all disciplines

National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP)

GoalsGoal 1 – By 2010, 90 percent of all high-risk Urban Areas designated within the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) are able to demonstrate response-level emergency communications within one hour for routine events involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies.

Goal 2 – By 2011, 75 percent of non-UASI jurisdictions are able to demonstrate response-level emergency communications within one hour for routine events involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies.

Goal 3 – By 2013, 75 percent of all jurisdictions are able to demonstrate response-level emergency communications in the event of a significant incident as outlined in national planning scenarios within three hours.

Legislative Branch• The NECP will inform emergency communications priorities, activities, and resource allocations for consideration and action

Executive Branch/Federal Agencies• Federal implementation will be done collaboratively through the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center (ECPC) and the Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications (FPIC)

• Federal response organizations will also work with State, local, and tribal agencies and governments to improve communications

State, Local, and Tribal Governments• The NECP outlines milestones to guide the public safety community in improving emergency communications at the State, local, and tribal level

Private Sector• The NECP identifies ways the private sector can support emergency communications efforts through standards development and advanced communications technology research and development

NECP Implementation

NECP Objectives

1. Decision-making structures and defined leadership roles

2. Coordinated Federal activities

3. Common planning and operational protocols

4. Standards implementation, research and development, and testing and evaluation.

5. Training and exercises

6. Strategic planning procedures, appropriate resource allocations, and public-private partnerships

7. Integrated preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery capabilities

NECP Initiatives

Initiative 1 – Establish a source of information about Federal emergency communications programs and initiatives.

Initiative 2 – Coordinate technical assistance programs to provide greater consistency for the delivery of Federal services.

Initiative 3 – Target Federal emergency communications grants to address gaps identified

Initiative 4 – Enable resource sharing and improve operational efficiencies.

Supporting Initiatives

Objective 2 - Coordinated Federal Activities

Federal emergency communications programs and initiatives are collaborative across agencies and aligned to achieve national goals

Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) Program

• The IWN Program is jointly-managed by the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice (DOJ), and the Treasury

• The mission of IWN is to improve Federal mission-critical wireless communications capabilities

• In March 2007, the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG) released the DOJ OIG Audit Report—Progress Report on Development of the IWN in DOJ , which identified a number of shortcomings

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• OEC is coordinating the departments of Justice and the Treasury to develop an alternative approach for the future of IWN

• This approach is focused on three key strategies:– Establish basic mission-critical wireless capabilities in priority

areas through infrastructure repairs and upgrades– Standardize networks and improve efficiency by transitioning to a

common platform, sharing resources (i.e., infrastructure, spectrum), and consolidating networks where feasible

– Research and develop new technologies in coordination with industry to provide cost-effective enhanced services and capabilities

Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) Program

Resource sharing is a key component to the future strategy of IWN

OEC is currently facilitating resource sharing in the following areas:

Wyoming Virginia Oregon Arizona Texas Nebraska

These projects will establish technical interoperability models, adapt policy to better facilitate interoperability, and allow Federal users access to statewide

systems.

Current OEC Initiatives

Planned OEC Initiatives

Advisory Members to FPIC

Federal Rep. on State Council

Shared Infrastructure Projects

How it all fits together

NECP Goals

Contact

Email Jim DownesOEC@HQ.DHS.GOV

Websitehttp://www.dhs.gov; search keyword: OEC

Back-up Slides

The NIFOG is a pocket-sized collection of spectrum reference material for field personnel responsible for emergency response that will be used for spectrum coordination in response to emergency situations

Developed in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Spectrum Management Office

The NIFOG contains sections on: Regulations and guidelines for national interoperability Tables of nationwide interoperability channels Common communications references Tables of commonly used frequencies

The first version of the NIFOG was published in September 2007 and 1,000 copies were distributed

A revised version was issued in March 2008 and to date there are requests for more than 2,500 copies

National Interoperability Field Operations Guide