# Presentation: 590107

## Office of Emergency CommunicationsBriefing to the Joint Advisory Committee on Communications Capabilities of Emergency Medical and Public Health Care Facilities 

**Keith Young**
**Office of Emergency Communications**

**28-Nov-07**

## OEC:  What is it?Homeland Security Act of 2002 (2006)

**OEC:  What is it?****Homeland Security Act of 2002 (2006)**

**Policy/Guidance development for strengthening interoperable communications**

***The OEC supports and promotes the ability of emergency responders and government officials to continue 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.***

_**Our Mission Statement:**_

## Some OEC Roles and Responsibilities

**Establish capabilities supporting seamless, interoperable communications across government at all levels**
**Administer SAFECOM, ICTAP, and IWN**
**Foster development of interoperable emergency communications capabilities**
**Conduct outreach to State, local, tribal governments (S/L/T)**
**Provide Technical Assistance (TA) in the use of interoperable emergency communications to S/L/T**
**Promote Standard Operating Procedures, Best Practices, and tools for incident response interoperable emergency communications capabilities**
**Support the Executive Branch as required**

## OEC Coordination Requirements

**Coordinate with:**
**S&T/Office for Interoperability and Compatibility**
**Federal Emergency Management Agency**
**Chief Information Officer **
**National Communications System**
**National Cyber Security Division**
**Emergency Response Community**
**State, local, and tribal governments**
**Other Departments and Agencies**
**Industry partners**
**Other stakeholders as required**

## Public Safety Interoperability Communications (PSIC) Grants and Statewide Plans

**OEC is participating in the PSIC Grant process with FEMA and NTIA**
**OEC will:**
**Provide TA upon request**
**Participate in Peer Reviews to evaluate and approve SCIPs**
**Provide TA after SCIPs are approved, if needed**

**SCIPs and IJs are due on 3 December 2007**

**Notes:**
DHS is deeply engaged in the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program.  Our office’s efforts are primarily focused on the required Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans due on 3 December 2007.  
Our ICTAP teams are available to provide both SCIP and Investment Justification support to States up until that deadline.  
OEC is also facilitating a interim review of Statewide Plans on September 30th.  We highly encourage States and territories to submit their Statewide Plans on this date-our office is arranging a small peer review panel to highlight any major issues, shortfalls that must be addressed in order for Statewide Plans to be approved.  As currently structured, we should be able to provide States and territories comments within 2-3 weeks of submission.

**The Importance of SCIPs**

**The development of a locally-driven, multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary SCIP will help States and localities: **
**Break down the planning, coordination, and cooperation barriers of the past **
**Establish a coordinated vision and set strategic goals, objectives, and initiatives to enhance interoperability**
**Advancing interoperability requires a partnership among emergency response organizations across all levels of government**
**SCIPs provide OEC with unprecedented data regarding the nation’s level of communications operability and interoperability **
**SCIP plans identify status within the key elements of the Interoperability Continuum  **
**SCIP plans provide OEC with an understanding of strategic interoperable planning and implementation efforts across the nations**

## National Communications Baseline Assessment

**Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Section 1803, specifically addresses development of a National Communications Baseline Assessment**
**The National Communications Baseline Assessment will:**
**Define the range of capabilities needed for natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters for first responders and relevant government entities**
**Assess current capabilities**
**Identify seams, gaps, and obstacles **
**Establish a national interoperable emergency communications inventory including Federal communications information**
**FCC, Commerce, DOD, and others**
**Foundational documents include:**
**Interoperability Continuum**
**2006 Baseline Survey**
**Tactical Interoperable Communications Scorecards**
**Tactical Interoperable Communications Plans (TICPs)**
**SCIPs—under development**
**Target Capabilities List**

**National Communications****Baseline Assessment**

_**Phase 1 (2007)**_
**1)  Leverages existing assessments, surveys, TICPs, scorecards**
**2) Interviews with Federal, local public safety stakeholders**

_**Phase 2 (2008)**_
**Includes additional Federal, local agency, and private sector information **
**Incorporates State, local, and tribal data found in SCIPs**

***The Result:*****  a range of capabilities needed by the emergency**
**                     ****response providers and relevant government entities**

**OEC is taking a two-phased approach to ensure inclusion of the SCIP **
**and IJ submissions**

## National Emergency Communications Plan

**In cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments, Federal departments and agencies, emergency response providers, and the private sector, OEC will develop a National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to: **
**Provide recommendations to support and promote the ability of practitioners and relevant government officials to continue to communicate in an event**
**Ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable emergency communications nationwide**

## The NECP:Setting the Agenda for the Future  

**Going forward, the NECP sets OEC’s Title 18 Agenda:  **
**Emergency Communications Grant Programs and Guidance**
**Must be coordinated and consistent with NECP goals and recommendations**
**SCIPs and IJs must be consistent with the NECP**
**No IECGP grants will be awarded until the NECP is submitted**
**Future Assessments and Reports **
**Measuring progress in meeting NECP goals and recommendations**
**Emergency Communications Preparedness Center**
**Annual Strategic Assessment must consider NECP goals**
**RECC Assessments of the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability of local systems **
**Annual reports on the progress of regions in meeting NECP goals**

## Emergency Communications Preparedness Center

**Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act, 2007, as amended, establishes the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center (ECPC) as: **** **

**Focal Point and Clearinghouse**
**The ECPC shall serve as the focal point for Federal agencies as a clearinghouse for activities on interoperable emergency communications.  The ECPC shall support and promote:**
***The capability of emergency response providers and associated government officials to continue to communicate;***
*** ******Reduce the duplication of efforts; ***
*** ******Impediments to achieving interoperable emergency communications***
**Strategic Assessment**
***ECPC shall prepare an annual strategic assessment regarding the coordination efforts of Federal departments and agencies to advance interoperable communications.***

## Slide 12