National Communications System

1
National Communications System

• Assuring Communications
• During
• An Emergency

• Dan Currie
• Eastern Regional Outreach Coordinator
• GETS/WPS Program
• Phone [phone]
• dan.currie_at_associates.hq.dhs.gov
• danielcurrie_at_comcast.net

2
National Communications System
1993- Present
FRP Comm Annex (1992)
PDD-63 CIP (1998)
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
National Plans For CIP (2000/2001)
National Response Framework (NRF) (Present)
NCS (1963)
NCS consists of 24 Federal member departments and
agencies and is responsible for ensuring the
availability of a viable national security and
emergency preparedness (NS/EP) communications
infrastructure.
1981-1993
Divestiture NSTAC Established EO 12382 EO
12472 EO 12656
Critical Infrastructure Protection
PCCIP (1996)
Telecom ISAC (2000)
CIP Board (2001)
3
National Communications System

• The NCS works with the telecommunications
  industry to develop and deploy National Security
  and Emergency Preparedness Telecommunications
  Services.
• Priority telecommunications services are
  available to qualifying federal, state, local,
  and tribal government, industry, and
  non-governmental organizational personnel in
  performing their NS/EP missions.
• Priority telecommunications services are
  designed to augment existing emergency
  communications capabilities.

3
4
NCS Priority Services

• Government Emergency Telecommunications Service
  (GETS)
• Priority access to the public wireline network
• GETS is supported by all major service providers

• Wireless Priority Service (WPS)
• Priority access to the public wireless network
• WPS is available through ATT, Edge Wireless,
  SouthernLINC, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon

• Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)
• Establishes priority for restoration/provisioning
  of NS/EP circuits
• Supported by an FCC regulatory mandate

5
The Problem

• Im sorry, all circuits are busy now.
• Please hang up and try your call again later.

6
The Problem
What do you do?

• What do you do that requires a voice call?
• What do you do if you cant make a normal call?
• What do you do if you cant make an emergency
  call?
• What are your options?
• What can you afford?

What Do You Do?
7
Problem During an Emergency, Mass Calling
Causes Network Congestion
Public Network
Congestion at many points!
8
Network Congestion

• After a major disaster, mass calling by the
  public often triggers congestion in landline and
  cellular networks, forcing emergency responders
  and other key personnel to compete with the
  public for the same overloaded communications
  resources!

9
GETS-WPS Network Congestion Katrina Rita 2005
Katrina 33 phone company central offices
damaged, over 1,000 cell sites out of service,
and more than 3 million phones inoperable
Rita Calls into 7 Area Codes in southern Texas
experienced network congestion the 3 days before
Hurricane Rita impacted the coast
10
GETS-WPS Network Congestion Minneapolis - Aug 3,
2007
Cell-phone congestion blocked some calls near
the collapsed bridge site Wednesday evening,
causing Minneapolis police to ask people to get
off their phones. Police needed to use the
cell-phone networks themselves to mobilize
doctors, the Red Cross and other emergency
workers who don't have police radios.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - August 3,
2007
11
Government EmergencyTelecommunications Service
(GETS)

• GETS is a no cost calling card that provides
  priority for outbound calls to all regular
  telephone numbers
• GETS uses the full capacity of the public
  network, it is not a separate system with limited
  capacity
• GETS Cards are typically provided to
• People individuals needing priority capability
  24x7x365
• Places locations needing priority capability

• Caveats
• GETS will not work without dial tone
• May experience soundless delays while queuing
• GETS provides priority calling but might not
  mitigate cellular congestion
• GETS cannot be used for toll free numbers

12
MAKING A GETS CALL

1. Dial GETS Access Number
2. Listen for tone, then enter your PIN (do not
   enter after last digit)
3. Listen for voice prompt Please enter
   your destination number now.
4. Enter the destination number (omit the 1
   before the area code)
5. You will hear an announcement You are using
   GETS, ATT/Verizon/Sprint
6. Network will route your call to the destination
   telephone number

12 Digit Personal Identification Number (PIN)
User Name and Organization
GETS Access Number
Toll Free number for each GETS carrier (backup)
Toll Free User Assistance number (24x7)
Periods of silence are normal particularly if
call is queued during heavy congestion. Calls
may take 30 to 60 seconds to complete
13
How GETS Works

• Trunk Queuing
• Exemption from Network Management Controls

PBX
Office
PSTN
GETS enhancements are deployed in the 3 major
Interexchange Carriers (IXC) and in the major
Local Exchange Carriers (LEC) across the US GETS
local enhancements are available from over 85 of
the access lines connecting to the PSTN
Satellite
Cell
14
Wireless Priority Service (WPS)

• WPS provides priority for emergency calls made
  from cell phones including PDAs
• The WPS feature is requested on a per-phone basis
  through the NCS for Alltel, ATT (formerly
  Cingular Wireless), Cellular South, Edge
  Wireless, SouthernLINC, Sprint Nextel, Sprint
  PCS, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.
• WPS typically costs 60 to 70 per phone per year
  (a maximum of 4.50/month, 10 one-time, 75 cents
  per minute)

272 Destination number

• Caveats
• WPS will not work without a signal
• May need GET/WPS together to complete the call
• Users may experience waits up to 28 seconds
• WPS may not work when roaming
• 9-1-1 loses geo locator

15
Making a WPS Call

1. Confirm radio signal
2. Enter 272 destination telephone number and
   push SEND key (example 272 703 818 4387 - SEND
   )

16
How WPS Works
WPS adds Radio Channel Queuing between the mobile
phone and base station and High Probability of
Completion (HPC) features to Cellular Networks
Calling Party
Called Party
Other Cellular Service Providers
WPS Mobile Switch
WPS Equipped Mobile Switches

• Treats WPS calls same as GETS calls, giving them
  NS/EP marking
• Provides same HPC features as GETS without having
  to dial GETS access number and PIN
• Long distance WPS calls are routed through HPC
  capable networks of the GETS carriers or Cellular
  carriers
• Local calls route directly to local carriers

17
Who Should Have GETS/WPS?
Individuals who need to communicate
anytime/anyplace should have personal GETS Cards
and WPS Subscribed Cell Phones

• Senior Leadership
• Media Relations
• Emergency Management and staff
• Police/Fire Chiefs and staff
• Police/Fire Field Command
• Department Heads and staff
• Team leaders
• Subject matter experts/trained specialists
• Others Individuals with an Emergency Preparedness
  and Response role.

Key Locations and Functions should have GETS
cards for use during emergencies
EOC Work Stations Back-up EOC PSAPs Computer/IT
Center Police/Fire Dispatch Shelters Command
Vehicles
18

GETS/WPS Performance

• 9/11 Terrorist Attack Over 10,000 GETS calls
  were attempted in NYC and DC areas with 95
  completion rate
• Aug 03 NE Power Outage 1,231 GETS calls were
  made in affected areas with 90 success rate
• Hurricane Season 2005
• Over 40,000 GETS Calls were attempted with 94
  successfully routed
• Over 5,000 WPS Calls were attempted. 95 gained
  access to the radio channel and 63 were completed

19
GETS/WPS Performance
Washington Storms (DEC 2006)
Florida Storms (FEB 2006)

• GETS Calls
• 94.4 Routed Successfully
• WPS Calls
• 100 Assigned Radio Channel

• GETS Calls
• 96 Routed Successfully
• WPS Calls
• 74 Assigned Radio Channel

Virginia Tech (APR 2007)

• GETS Calls
• 100 Routed Successfully
• WPS Calls
• 100 Assigned Radio Channel

20
Critical Communications Services May Experience
Outages
Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)
21
Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)

• Established on 17 November 1988 by FCC Report and
  Order FCC 88-341
• The FCC designated the Executive Office of the
  President (EOP) as administrator of the TSP
  Program, who in turn, delegated its
  responsibilities to the Manager, NCS
• TSP is a mandatory requirement for all
  FCC-regulated telecommunications companies
• Tariffs are approved by state utility regulators

22
Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)

The TSP program contains two primary and
distinctive components
Provisioning
Provisioning
A provisioning priority is
A provisioning priority is
obtained to facilitate the
obtained to facilitate the
priority installation of
new
priority installation of
new
telecommunication
telecommunications
services in a shorter than
services in a shorter than
normal interval
.
normal interval
.
Cannot be used to compensate for inadequate
planning
23
Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)

• TSP is ordered from your service provider at
  rates set by the service provider and state
  public utility commission
• Restoration averages 100 initial 3 monthly
  recurring charge
• Provisioning will have TSP tariff in addition to
  the providers service charge

Caveat TSP offers no guaranteed duration for
repair or installation, guarantees action occurs
before non-TSP requests
24
Step 1 Establish on-line account
Ordering TSP
Step 1 Contract service provider to establish
date
Step 2 Identify specific services for TSP
Provisioning
Restoration
Step 2 Call NCS to receive TSP code
Step 3 Submit TSP service requests thru on-line
system
Step 3 Provide TSP code to service provider
Step 4 Obtain TSP code for each approved service
Step 5 Provide TSP code to your service provider
Step 6 Update records and procedures to reflect
implementation
25
How do you ensure reliable and responsive
communications?
Closing

• Network congestion is very likely to occur during
  a major emergency or disaster, making it
  difficult to complete emergency calls
• GETS and WPS significantly increase probability
  of call completion
• GETS and WPS are easy to request and administer
  using the on-line system
• No cost for GETS cards, WPS is less than 5 of
  the typical annual cell phone cost (approximately
  70 first year, 60 second year)
• Whats YOUR next step?

The only thing tougher than planning for a
disaster is explaining why you didn't!"
26
Resources

• For more information
• www.ncs.gov
• www.gets.ncs.gov
• www.wps.ncs.gov
• www.tsp.ncs.gov
• For Assistance setting up on-line Accounts and
  ordering
• Priority Telecommunications Service Center
  1-866-627-2255
• 8am to 6pm Eastern Time
• follow voice prompts for each service
• Dan Currie
• Eastern Regional Outreach Coordinator
• GETS/WPS Program
• Phone [phone]
• dan.currie_at_associates.hq.dhs.gov
• danielcurrie_at_comcast.net

National Communications System
27
(No Transcript)