# Presentation: 721961

## National Communications System (NCS)ESF #2 Training ConferenceCOMMUNICATIONS ASSESSMENTS

**Shawn Lapinski**
**Federal Communications Commission**
**Shawn.Lapinski@fcc.gov**
** ****	****202-418-1055**
** ****	****June 22, 2007**

## Painting the

- Common
- Operating
- Picture

## Communications Assessment

**ESF-2**

**FEMA Advance Team**

**RRCC**

**State EOC**

**FECC and**
** ****ESF-2 team **
** ****go to  **

**JFO**

**Communications Assessment**

## Communications Assessment:Painting the Common Operating Picture

**Provides “situational awareness” for operations managers and policy makers at the highest levels from those closest to the incident or event**
**Gives the background and context for decision making**

## Communications Assessment:Painting the Common Operating Picture

** ****Gathering Information or “Assessing the **
**	****Incident”**
** ****Reporting the Information or “Completing the**
**	****Common Operating Picture”**

**Communications Assessment:****Painting the Common Operating Picture**

## Communications Assessment:Gathering Information

- NCS / NCC

- JFO

**Outages**
**Priorities**
**Offers**

** ****Fuel**
** ****Security**
** ****Access**
** ****Public Safety Systems**
** ****Power Grid**
** ****Broadcasters**
** ****Satellite**
** ****Others**

**Communications Assessment:****Gathering Information**

## To and From NCS/NCC/JTRB
Opportunity to learn priorities
Opportunity to learn what issues need 	follow up action (“run to ground”)
Opportunity to report status of follow up 	actions on subsequent calls

**Opportunity to learn priorities**
**Opportunity to learn what issues need ****	****follow up action (“run to ground”)**
**Opportunity to report status of follow up ****	****actions on subsequent calls**

**Gathering Information:****Conference Calls**

## “Getting There From Here” 

**Visits to:**
**	****	****Local EOC**
**	****	****Local Communications Officer**
**	****	****Commercial Industry at Sites**
**Visits via:**
**	****Car**
**	****Boat**
** ****	****Air**

**Gathering Information:****Local Site Visit**

## JFO or State EOC

**JFO or State EOC**

**Gathering Information:****Other ESFs**

## Initial Assessment—Generally describes the immediate 	state of communications following an incident

Subsequent Assessments— reports that provide more 	detailed information with specific needs and 	recommendations based on interviews with state/  	local officials, ESF counterparts at the state EOC 	and JFO, and on-site industry representatives

** **
**Subsequent Assessments— reports that provide more ****	****detailed information with specific needs and ****	****recommendations based on interviews with state/  ****	****local officials, ESF counterparts at the state EOC ****	****and JFO, and on-site industry representatives**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## 
Whether as a part of the FEMA Advance Team or as part of the team arriving at the JFO, the ESF #2 team should initiate contacts as soon as the boots hit the ground

Face-to-Face is PREFERRED!

**Whether as a part of the FEMA Advance Team or as part of the team arriving at the JFO, the ESF #2 team should initiate contacts as soon as the boots hit the ground**
**Face-to-Face is PREFERRED!**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## Information should be:

Timely
Relevant
Correctly Annotated
Comprehensive

**Timely**
**Relevant**
**Correctly Annotated**
**Comprehensive**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## Contact the following for initial assessment:

ESF-2 Counterpart at the state EOC
ESF-3 (Public Works and Engineering) in the 	state EOC and JFO
ESF-12 (Energy) in the state EOC and JFO
ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security) in the 	state EOC and JFO
Wireline Service Providers
Wireless Service Providers
State Broadcasters Association Representative

**Contact the following for initial assessment:**
**ESF-2 Counterpart at the state EOC**
**ESF-3 (Public Works and Engineering) in the ****	****state EOC and JFO**
**ESF-12 (Energy) in the state EOC and JFO**
**ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security) in the ****	****state EOC and JFO**
**Wireline Service Providers**
**Wireless Service Providers**
**State Broadcasters Association Representative**

## With every POC you meet, always get:

Contact Information: Name, Cell/Fax/Sat 	Phone and E-mail
Issues Unique to POC’s Systems/Services
Status of Systems/Services 
Proposed Recovery Efforts and Time-Frame 
		(if known)
Immediate Needs

**Contact Information: Name, Cell/Fax/Sat ****	****Phone and E-mail**
**Issues Unique to POC’s Systems/Services**
**Status of Systems/Services **
**Proposed Recovery Efforts and Time-Frame **
**	****	****(if known)**
**Immediate Needs**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## Issues unique to systems/services

ESF-3 (Public Works and Engineering)
ESF-12 ( Energy)
ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security)
Wireline Service Providers
Wireless Service Providers
Broadcasters
PSAP/LMR Systems

**ESF-3 (Public Works and Engineering)**
**ESF-12 ( Energy)**
**ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security)**
**Wireline Service Providers**
**Wireless Service Providers**
**Broadcasters**
**PSAP/LMR Systems**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## 
Title may be official or unofficial
Knows about the public safety services in 	the area of the incident, the maintenance 	of those services, and the people to 	contact

**Title may be official or unofficial**
**Knows about the public safety services in ****	****the area of the incident, the maintenance ****	****of those services, and the people to ****	****contact**

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

**The local Communications Officer is the***** ******	******“keeper” *****of critical communications ****	****services information.**

## “Grueling grammar Batman, it’s interrogatives”

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

** ****Who?**
** ****What?**
** ****When?**
** ****Where?**
** ****Why?**
** ****How?**

## For example:

Interview with ESF-2 Comms POC
WHO: the person’s name, cell/fax/blackberry number  
WHAT: services were provided to the area pre- hurricane/event 
WHAT: state of services now in the disaster area

	Go through each system one at a time, letting the EOC Comms person describe:
WHAT: systems are used 
WHERE:  each system is located
HOW: long the community has owned/used the system
WHO: services the system (Name/Number)
WHO: runs the system (state, local, co-shared)
WHEN: did the system go down
HOW: much of the system is down (neighborhoods, parishes, city/county quadrants, percentage, number of switches, etc.) 

**Interview with ESF-2 Comms POC**
**WHO: the person’s name, cell/fax/blackberry number  **
**WHAT: services were provided to the area pre- hurricane/event **
**WHAT: state of services now in the disaster area**
**	****Go through each system one at a time, letting the EOC Comms person describe:**
**WHAT: systems are used **
**WHERE:  each system is located**
**HOW: long the community has owned/used the system**
**WHO: services the system (Name/Number)**
**WHO: runs the system (state, local, co-shared)**
**WHEN: did the system go down**
**HOW: much of the system is down (neighborhoods, parishes, city/county quadrants, percentage, number of switches, etc.) **

**Gathering Information:****Assessing the Incident**

## That policy makers and project managers 	use to make informed decisions within 	the context of the event (NCS/PFO/FCO)
That reflects what has been run to ground or 	needs to be run to ground
That provides a consistent reporting format

**That reflects what has been run to ground or ****	****needs to be run to ground**
**That provides a consistent reporting format**

**Reporting the Information:****Completing the Common Operating Picture**

**Based on the information gathered, the Situation Report (SitRep) paints the picture:**

## Format:

Issues

Solutions

Success / Results

Field Needs / Follow up Action

**Issues**
**Solutions**
**Success / Results**
**Field Needs / Follow up Action**

**Reporting the Information:****Situation Report (SitRep)**

## All reports include:

Your name, location, contact information, 	date of report

Names/contact information of persons who 	contributed information

Locations visited

**Your name, location, contact information, ****	****date of report**
**Names/contact information of persons who ****	****contributed information**
**Locations visited**

**Reporting the Information:****Situation Report (SitRep)**

## All reports:

Indicate whether the information is 	anecdotal; 	otherwise it is presumed factual
Avoid clichés and vague phrases
Keep ESF-2 Mission foremost in your mind and 	your report writing

**Indicate whether the information is ****	****anecdotal; ****	****otherwise it is presumed factual**
**Avoid clichés and vague phrases**
**Keep ESF-2 Mission foremost in your mind and ****	****your report writing**

**Reporting the Information:****Situation Report (SitRep)**

## Be Consistent in:

Spelling

Abbreviations/Acronyms	     http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/prepare/faatlist03_05.pdf

Writing style 
	- sentences or bullets
	- dates

**Spelling**
**Abbreviations/Acronyms****	****     **_[http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/prepare/faatlist03_05.pdf](http://www.fema.gov/pdf/plan/prepare/faatlist03_05.pdf)_
**Writing style **
**	****- sentences or bullets**
**	****- dates**

**Reporting the Information:****Situation Report (SitRep)**

## “Those that fail to plan, plan to fail”

DEADLINES

Check your time zone
Check location when / where report is due
Check time allotted for writing report

**DEADLINES**
**Check your time zone**
**Check location when / where report is due**
**Check time allotted for writing report**

**Reporting the Information:****Situation Report (SitRep)**

## Classroom Role Plays