5th Annual Virginia Interoperable Communications Conference

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5th Annual Virginia Interoperable Communications
Conference
September 30-October 1, 2008 Norfolk, VA
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• Federal Panel
• A discussion of several federal initiatives
  including the National Response Framework, NIMS,
  FRAC, NPSPAC usage, SAFECOM, narrowbanding and
  rebanding
• September 30, 2008
• 1115am
• Moderator Bill Bullock, State Interoperability
  Executive Committee
• Panelists Chris Essid, Director, Office of
  Emergency Communications
• Jeff Cohen, Senior Legal Counsel, Federal
  Communications Commission

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Chris Essid

• Director, Office of Emergency Communications

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Office of Emergency Communications
Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
as amended, established the Office of Emergency
Communications
Office of Emergency Communications
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.
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OECs Service Offerings

• Policy and planning
• Coordination and collaboration
• Demonstration Projects
• Grants
• Technical assistance

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Policy and Planning

• National Emergency Communications Plan
• The NECP is DHS roadmap to achieve a vision for
  interoperable emergency communications
• The NECP sets national goals and objectives to
  improve interoperability, operability, and
  continuity of communications for Federal, State,
  local, and tribal emergency responders
• Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act, as
  amended, requires
• Future Alignment with NECP Goals and Objectives
  Future interoperability grant programs (IECGP)
  and State planning (SCIPs) are to align with the
  goals of the NECP
• Federal and Regional Reporting Federal
  (Emergency Communications Preparedness Center)
  and Regional (Regional Emergency Communications
  Coordination Working Group) coordination bodies
  are to produce annual reports on their progress
  in advancing the goals of the NECP

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Coordination Collaboration
Emergency Communications Preparedness Center

• Established by Title XVIII of the 2002 Homeland
  Security Act, as amended
• Chaired by DHS, comprised of 12 Secretary-level
  representatives
• Coordinates Federal emergency communications
  operability and interoperability assurance
  efforts
• Serves as a focal point for interagency
  coordination of emergency communications programs
  and initiatives
• Establishes a clearinghouse for emergency
  communications information

• ECPC Charter Members
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
• Department of Energy
• Department of Health and Human Services
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Interior
• Department of Justice
• Department of Labor
• Department of Treasury
• Federal Communications Commission
• General Services Administration

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Demonstration Projects
Shared Infrastructure Projects

• OEC improves interoperability assurance by
  working with FPIC to coordinate the integration
  of Federal users onto statewide systems
• FPIC supports interoperability assistance
  
  projects in
• 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.
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Grants
Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant
Program

• Legislation specifies that grants will be made to
  States and territories to carry out initiatives
  to improve local, tribal, statewide, regional,
  national and, where appropriate, international
  interoperable emergency communications
• Authorizes at least 1.6 billion from Fiscal Year
  (FY) 2008 2012
• In FY08, IECGP funds will drive action in
  governance, training and exercise, and standard
  operating procedures consistent with the NECP

50M appropriated in FY 2008
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Technical Assistance

• 2010 Vancouver Olympics
• DHS is actively involved in the Governor of the
  State of Washingtons 2010 Winter Olympic Task
  Force Security Subcommittee
• OEC is currently assisting the Communications
  Interoperability Working Group (CIWG) of the
  Security Subcommittee on three activities
• Interagency Interoperable Communications Plan
• Communications Training and Exercise Plan
• Communications Requirements for the Coordination
  Center
• OEC has partnered with the Office for
  Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) to train
  Communications Unit Leaders (COML) supporting the
  Games, as well as other practitioners from across
  the country

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Jeffrey S. CohenFederal Communications
Commission Senior Legal Counsel Public Safety
and Homeland Security Bureau
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• Topics
• Overview of the FCCs Public Safety and Homeland
  Security Bureau
• Public Safety Interoperability
• 700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum

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• PSHSB Structure

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PSHSB Mission To collaborate with the public
safety community, industry and other government
entities to license, facilitate, restore and
recover communications services used by the
citizens of the United States, including first
responders, before, during and after emergencies
by disseminating critical information to the
public and by implementing the Commission's
policy initiatives.
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• PSHSB Primary Goals
• To support and advance initiatives that (1)
  further strengthen and enhance the security and
  reliability of the nation's communications
  infrastructure and public safety and emergency
  response capabilities and (2) better enable the
  FCC to assist the public, first responders, law
  enforcement, hospitals, the communications
  industry and all levels of government in the
  event of a natural disaster, pandemic or
  terrorist attack.

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• PSHSB Portfolio
• Develop and administer policies related to public
  safety communications
• Operability and interoperability of public safety
  communications
• Communications infrastructure protection and
  disaster response
• Network security and reliability
• Public safety licensing
• Outreach and clearinghouse for public safety
  communications information

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• Current PSHSB Issues
• Spectrum Management
• 700 MHz Band
• 800 MHz Rebanding
• Other Bands
• Wireless Enhanced 911 Service
• Emergency Alert System
• Commercial Mobile Alert System

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• Interoperability
• Bureau seeks to promote interoperability at all
  levels
• Federal departments and agencies
• Among and within states and local and tribal
  governments
• Among first responders
• Across disciplines, jurisdictions, boundaries
• With a continuing focus on communications
  preparedness and lessons learned for all
  emergencies, including natural disasters,
  pandemics, criminal or terrorist acts.

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• Steps Taken by the FCC
• Promoted common technical standards
• Designated radio channels in the 800 MHz and 700
  MHz bands for interoperability purposes
• Designated mutual aid channels for voice
  communications in UHF and VHF bands

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• Steps Taken by PSHSB
• Clearinghouse web site supporting state, local
  and tribal governments and the public safety
  community

PSHSB Clearinghouse http//www.fcc.gov/pshs/clearinghouse/index.html PSHSB Clearinghouse http//www.fcc.gov/pshs/clearinghouse/index.html
Best Practices Federal Resources and Grant Information
Case Studies/Lessons Learned Public Safety Sector Emergency Planning Guidelines
State and Local Communications Plans Handbooks
Continuity Plans State Interoperability Plans
Emergency Plans Reference Materials
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• Steps Taken by PSHSB
• Coordination with other Federal agencies
• DHS
• FEMA
• NTIA
• Coordination with public safety groups
• APCO
• NENA
• NPSTC
• Host summits

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• 700 MHz Band
• Create nationwide interoperable broadband network
  for public safety
• Establish public safety/private partnership
• Ensure that first responders interests are
  represented
• Nationwide network to meet public safety needs
• Roll-out of next generation communications
  technologies

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• 700 MHz Narrowband
• Consolidates narrowband in the upper portion of
  the public safety spectrum
• Shifts all spectrum down 1 MHz to avoid Canadian
  border interference concerns
• Establishes relocation process
• Mandates the P25 interoperability standard, and
  designates 64 paired channels for nationwide
  interoperable voice and data communications
• Administered by state licensees or via RPCs

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• 700 MHz Broadband
• 700 MHz Public Safety/Private Partnership
• Partnership between single, nationwide public
  safety licensee and single, nationwide commercial
  entity
• D Block Licensee constructs a shared wireless
  broadband network
• Network Sharing Agreement governs partnership
• Single broadband interoperability standard
• Public Safety Broadband Licensee leases broadband
  spectrum to D Block Licensee for commercial use
  on a secondary, preemptible basis

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• 700 MHz Band Next Steps
• Commercial auction did not produce a winning
  bidder for the D Block
• Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
  circulated on 09/04/2008
• Strongly encourage public safety input

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Questions?
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5th Annual Virginia Interoperable Communications
Conference
September 30-October 1, 2008 Norfolk, VA
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