Supporting the Mission
“SEARCH is dedicated to improving the quality of justice and public safety through the use, management and exchange of information; application of new technologies; and responsible law and policy, while safeguarding security and privacy.”
Supporting the MissionSEARCH Public Safety Programs support the organization’s mission by preparing organizations and individuals to apply information technology in improving the quality of justice and public safety. Through training, publications, and direct technical assistance, technology and project managers are better prepared to support justice and public safety decisionmakers with accurate, timely information.
Supporting the MissionSEARCH Public Safety Programs support the organization’s mission by preparing organizations and individuals to apply information technology in improving the quality of justice and public safety. Through training, publications, and direct technical assistance, technology and project managers are better prepared to support justice and public safety decisionmakers with accurate, timely information.
Exercising the Beliefs“Justice and public safety practitioners and policymakers at all levels and in all segments of the public safety enterprise with appropriate access rights should have timely access to complete, accurate, secure and good quality information.
“Justice and public safety information systems should incorporate nationwide, agreed-upon standards for information sharing.
“An enterprise approach to information sharing is essential to achieving the greatest success possible.”
Exercising the Beliefs“Education, training and technical assistance are critical to the successful deployment of technology for justice and public safety purposes.
“To have a national impact, leadership must be provided by SEARCH and through collaborative efforts with other groups, including Federal, State, tribal and local agencies, associations and affiliated organizations.
“Adaptation to change is a prerequisite for the long term success of SEARCH.”
Program Goals Prepare individuals and teams to
manage information technology over its lifecycle through quality, timely, and useful training
Provide policy makers and practitioners with informative, practical publications for use in understanding, implementing, and managing technology
Serve agencies with their information technology initiatives and projects directly through in-house and on-site assistance efforts
Public Safety Programs
SEARCH’s Technical Assistance Program improves public safety by:
Helping state, local and tribal justice and public safety agencies successfully implement technology solutions to important business problems
By providing assistance through products and services in the areas of integrated justice, interoperability, and systems and technology procurement and implementation
Public Safety Programs
Technical Assistance methods: Conferences, workshops,
summits, and other facilitated training opportunities
Publications, including issue briefs, white papers, and guides offering in-depth analysis of technology issues and specific management recommendations
Onsite and in-house technical assistance on using best practices in technology project governance, planning and project management
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs Training Programs
Technology management training conferences Critical success factors in technology projects
Advanced topic workshops Moving to the next level on key topics
Summits Bringing together key
practitioners andsubject matter expertsto share lessons learnedand build a knowledgebase for future projects
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs COPS
Interoperability Workshops - 2005 Denver: April 11-12 Columbus: June 1-2 Charlotte: July 11-12
Open to 2003 and 2004 ICTP grantees
50 attendees, representing 20 agencies
9 presenters
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs COPS Technology
Conferences - 2005 Charlotte: October 18-
20 San Diego: November
29 – December 1
Open to 2005 COPS technology earmark grant agencies
217 attendees, representing 141 agencies
8 presenters at each
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs COPS Interoperability
Conference - 2005 Phoenix: November
15-17
Open to 2005 COPS Interoperable Communications Technology Program (ICTP) grantees
108 attendees 23 presenters
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs DHS Interoperable
Communications Technical Assistance Program Workshops - 2005 Denver: April 13 Columbus: June 3 Charlotte: July 13
Provided guidance on Tactical Interoperable Communications Plans
~300 attendees
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs Training – 2006
COPS ICTP Workshops Potential training venue
for new grantees National Interoperability
Summit COPS Technology
Conferences (2) Potential
National Incident Management System (NIMS) Communications Unit Leader Training
Comm Unit Leader Summit
Training
Publications
TA
Publications - 2005 The Law Enforcement Tech
Guide is used throughout trainingprograms and technical assistanceprojects
Companion guides includesmall and rural agencies and alarge guide on interagencycommunications projects
DHS Interoperable CommunicationsTechnical Assistance Program(ICTAP)
White paper on communicationsin the Incident Command System
Public Safety Programs
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs Publications - 2006
COPS Interoperable Communications Technology Program (ICTP)
Issue Briefs (6) Interactive Training DVD Interoperability Portal National Interoperability Summit Findings
Potential National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Incident Command System (ICS) CommunicationsUnit Leader standard of training and curriculum
Training
Publications
TA
Public Safety Programs Technical Assistance Programs
COPS Technology Program Projects of many types across
2003-2005 grantees (~950 grants) COPS Interoperable
Communications Technology Program (ICTP)
Interagency comm projects across 2003-2005 grantees (63 grants)
DHS Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP)
All DHS grantees are eligible; most assistance is going to tactical planning to meet FY05 requirements
BJA TA For other projects
Training
Publications
TA
Interoperability – ChallengesNational Task Force on
Interoperability
Incompatible and Aging Communications Equipment
Limited and Fragmented Funding
Limited and Fragmented Planning
Lack of Coordination and Cooperation
Limited and Fragmented Radio Spectrum
Interoperability – ChallengesNTFI1. Incompatible and
Aging Communications Equipment
NLETC (1998) – Direct correlation between system age and effectiveness. Local LE systems averaged 9 years, state 15 years. Fire and EMS systems averaging 10 years.
Interoperability – ChallengesNTFI2. Limited and
Fragmented Funding
In 1998, state and local radio equipment was estimated to be worth $18.3B.
In 2005, total system costs are estimated to be over $60B
Interoperability – ChallengesNTFI3. Lack of Coordination
and Cooperation
Needed changes were noted:
Patterns of isolated spending
Increased sharing of management and control
Systems and parts of systems can be shared
Interoperability – ChallengesNTFI4. Limited and
Fragmented Planning
Technical planning has often been faulted ….
… but operational planning is the key
Interoperability – ChallengesMcKinsey Report… [T]o be fully prepared to face the threats posed by terrorism and other major incidents, the city or state governments must establish a much broader, detailed and more formalized inter-agency planning and coordination process. … The process would include:
Establishment of common command and control structures and terminology, and agreement on the roles and responsibilities of each agency for managing the response to any incident.
Deployment of interoperable communications infrastructures and protocols to improve response coordination and exchange of information.
Implementation of joint training exercises to ensure that agencies can and will cooperate effectively during incidents, e.g., by operating under a unified command and control structure.
“Increasing FDNY’s Preparedness,” McKinsey & CompanyAugust 19, 2002, Executive Summary, p 21.
Interoperability – Challenges9/11 Commission Report
Command and Control within First Responder Agencies
“For a unified incident management system to succeed, each participant must have command and control of its own units and adequate internal communications.”
Interoperability – ChallengesOperability – Job #1
In terms of sheer volume, communications demands across all types of public safety response stack up like this:
#1 Internal communications within individual local agencies
#2 Interagency communications between like agencies from adjoining jurisdictions, such as between city police and county sheriff or between neighboring fire companies
#3 Interagency communications between different types of responders, such as police and fire, in the same jurisdiction
#4 Interagency communications between different types of responders in neighboring or distant jurisdictions
Interoperability – SolutionsHomeland Security
Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8)
Issued December 17, 2003 Required development of a national
preparedness goal, to include: Readiness metrics Closely coordinated interagency grant
process for first responder preparedness assistance
Preparedness assistance predicated on adoption of Statewide comprehensive all-hazards strategies
Interoperability – SolutionsInterim National
Preparedness Goal Released March 31, 2005 Establishes
Readiness targets Priorities Metrics
Three of Seven National Priorities relevant here:
Implementation of NIMS Strengthening of information-
sharing and collaboration capabilities
Strengthening communications interoperability
Interoperability – SolutionsNational Preparedness
Goal
Capabilities-Based Planning National Planning Scenarios Universal Task List Target Capabilities List
Interoperability – Solutions
Scenarios
The National Planning Scenarios highlight the scope, magnitude, and complexity of plausible catastrophic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies
Tasks
The Universal Task List (UTL) provides a menu of tasks from all sources that may be performed in major events such as those illustrated by the National Planning Scenarios
Capabilities
The Target Capabilities List (TCL) provides guidance on specific capabilities and levels of capability that Federal, State, local, and tribal entities will be expected to develop and maintain
Capabilities-Based Planning
One of the Target Capabilities common to all others is Interoperable Communications
Interoperability – Performance
GAO Congressional Testimony
“When the interoperability problem has been sufficiently defined and bounded, the next
challenge will be to develop national interoperability performance goals and technical standards that balance consistency with the need
for flexibility in adapting them to state and regional needs and circumstances.”
U.S. General Accounting Office, Homeland Security: Challenges in Achieving Interoperable Communications for First
Responders, GAO 04-231T (Washington, D.C.: Nov. 6, 2003)
Interoperability – PerformanceTarget Capabilities – Performance
Measures
1. A multi-agency and multi- jurisdictional governance structure is in place to improve communications interoperability planning and coordination.
2. Participating entities in the governance structure have developed and will update interoperability communications plans as needed.
3. Formal agreements exist among jurisdictions and disciplines.
4. Governance committees have developed a plan to acquire and influence sustained interoperability and systems maintenance funding.
5. A regional set of communications Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that conform to NIMS are in place and implemented and include operational and technical elements.
6. Command and control policies are in place to achieve interoperability as necessary.
Interoperability – PerformanceTarget Capabilities – Performance
Measures
7. Interoperability policies and procedures are in place to allow information sharing between levels of government and federal installations involved in the incident as necessary.
8. Individual agencies across the jurisdictions have operable communications systems in place.
9. Appropriate levels of redundant communication systems are available.
10. All personnel are trained to operate communications systems according to their role at an incident.
11. Plans, procedures, and use of interoperable communications equipment have been exercised.
12. Interoperability systems are used in pertinent everyday activities as well as emergency incidents to ensure users are familiar with the system and routinely work in concert with one another.
Interoperability – PerformanceTarget Capabilities – Performance
Measures
13. An assessment of standard communication capabilities for the PSAPs/Public Safety Communication Centers, and Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), has been completed to ensure an appropriate continuity of operations plan (COOP) is in place for public safety and service agencies’ communications.
14. A common operating picture (COP) for real time sharing of information with all the participating entities can be established as required.