# Presentation: 085826

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

**Michael R. Anderson**
**PART-15.ORG**
**chairman@part-15.org**
** ****	****630-466-9090**
** ****	****June 25, 2007**

## Alternative Communications

**PART-15.ORG**
- Chairman, PART-15.ORG
- Katrina Support
- FCC
**PDQLink**
- CIO/CTO
**Personal**
- Old and Experienced

**Why Me?**

## Alternative Communications

**PART-15.ORG**
**Executive Summary**
- The training to be provided is based on everyday use of overlooked communications assets and technologies, e.g., unlicensed spectrum and 4.9GHz to provide mobile voice, video, and data in support of public safety
**The Need**
- Traditional forms of communications remain plagued with operability and interoperability issues. This training provides a successful, proven alternative to standard emergency communications relief efforts by using off-the-shelf technologies. Training is vendor and technology neutral providing unbiased, field experienced opinions and recommendations by using a “Lessons-Learned” teaching approach. The unique capabilities of alternative communications provide for solutions to out-dated plans, policies and procedures. These alternative communications resources are limited only by the imagination of the responder

## Alternative Communications

**Our Objective Today**
- Broaden Our Minds
- Why Alternative Communications
- Another Tool in the box...
- Fixed and Mobile
- Hand-Held, Reliable and Secure
- Voice, Video, and Data
- Immediately Deployable

- Federal, State, Local and Tribal emergency responders, can adopt fast, low-cost and simple off-the-shelf unlicensed wireless networks and devices as a force-multiplying technology, delivering fast, secure access to central databases, photos, fingerprints, GIS, VoIP and live video.

## Alternative Communications

**Non-Attribution Disclaimer**
- What works for them, may not work for you
- Distances Vary
- Throughput Varies
- Quality of Service Varies
- Equipment Variations
- Same Are Better Than Others
- RF Environment
- Over 2.5 million customers of WISP services would disagree with your concerns of Interference
- Must move past the “Marketing Hype” to be Successful

## Alternative Communications

**Pringle Can (Past)**
- Designed for Indoor Use
- Short Range
- Limited Security (WEP)
- 2-5 Connections Work Well
**Professional (Present)**
- Designed for Outdoor Use
- Short and Long Range (100 miles)
- AES/DES and Beyond
- 1,000+ Connections Work Well

## Alternative Communications

**Lessons Learned**
- Katrina/Rita
- Nothing Else Available
- Imminent Need
- Rapid Deployment
- Long Range, Interoperable Voice, Video and Data

## Alternative Communications

**Spectrum Availability**
**Licensed**
- STA’s (Special Temporary Authority)
- FCC Immediate Response
- Special Circumstances
- A phone call will do...
**License Exempt**
- No FCC Approval Required
- Inexpensive
- Readily Available
- Rapid Deployment
- Voice, Video and Data

## Alternative Communications

**Long Distance**
- –** **Backhaul
- Up to 100 Mbps at 100 Miles * * * (Sometimes)
- – All IP Traffic (Can you say “interoperability?)
**Local Area**
- Voice
- 1,000 VoIP Call per hour (in and out)
- Video
- Unmanned Monitoring
- Data
- Database
- Personnel
- Equipment

## Alternative Communications

**Misunderstandings about Wireless**
- Insecure
- Not Anymore
- Interference
- Not Anymore
- Reliability
- Over 2.5 million customers of WISP services would disagree with your concerns

## Alternative Communications

**Pro**
- Immediately Deployable
- Inexpensive
**Con**
- Interference

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Intra/Inter Communications Voice, Video, Data
- Federal - State, and State - Local
- EOC to EOC (Multiple Command Centers Over a Large Area)
- Search and Rescue
- Medical Teams
- Shelter to Shelter
- Staging Point to Staging Point
- Entry Point to Entry Point
- Stay Off the Air
- IP Traffic Frees Up Vital Radio Time
- Normal Emergency Communication Mode

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Federal - State
- Everyday it’s done this way now
- Personnel and Equipment Asset Management
- Coordination and Information Sharing
- Continual and immediate updates

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- EOC to EOC (Multiple EOCs Over a Large Area)
- EOC to Staging Areas
- EOC to Entry Points
- EOC to Medical
- EOC to Fire
- EOC to Police
- EOC to Shelters
- EOC to Logistics

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Search and Rescue
- House by House Search Completion Data
- PDAs Provide Immediate Database (Excel) Updates to EOC
- Most PDAs Have Built-in Cameras
- PDAs Cameras Provide Immediate Uploading of Photos to EOCs for Archiving and Overall Damage Assessment

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Medical Teams
- Immediate Data and Photo Updates to Emergency Room Centers (Fixed or Mobile)
- Laptop and PDAs Provide Direct Field Responder to Doctor Communications
- Diagnosis
- Patient Data
- Treatment
- Patient Injury Photos

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Shelter to Shelter
- Overflow Needs
- Asset Management
- Too Much in One Location and Not Enough in Another
- Registration Management
- Immediate Location of Personnel and Assets
- Victim – Family Communications
- Relieves “normal” communications congestions

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Staging Points
- Database Management
- Assets
- Deployment Orders
- Provides a more clear understanding over voice tasking

## Alternative Communications

**The Need**
- Entry Points
- Photo Verification
- Immediate Access Control Updates

## Alternative Communications

**Point-to-Multi**** ****Point**

**Tent City**

- Up to 5 miles

**2.4/5.3 GHz**

**EOC**

**Entry Check Point**

**Up to 100 Miles**

## Alternative Communications

**Point-to-Point Backhaul**

**Any Live Network Outside Effected Area**
**	****	****e.g. State OEM**

**EOC – Emergency Operations Center**
- Direct connection to EOC
- Provides Voice, Video and Data
- Can redistribute to areas immediately surrounding EOC
- Can repeat to Multiple locations anywhere inside the containment area

**Up to 100 Miles*****

- Remote EOC

## Alternative Communications

**Point-to-Multi Point**

**Field Units**

- 5 miles

**2.4/5.3 GHz**

**EOC**

**RCC**

**Up to 100 Miles**

- Medical

- Cops

- Fire

**EOC – Emergency Operations Center**
- Direct connection to Field Units
- Meds, FEMA, ARC, Cops, Etc
**RCC – Remote Command Center**
- Police
- Fire
- Medical

## Alternative Communications

**Voice**
- Up to 1,000 VoIP Calls per Hour
- Soft-Phone
- Skype
- SIP Phone
- Desktop
- Hand-Held
-  Dual Port ATA
- Voice and FAX

## Alternative Communications

**Video**
- Remote IP Camera
- Entry Points
- Damage Assessment
- Personnel Alternative

## Alternative Communications

**Data**
- Database Management
- Communications
- Email, Instant Messaging
**Readily Available “Off-the-Shelf” Technology**
-  Laptops with built-in Wi-Fi
- PDAs
- Web-Cams

## Alternative Communications

**PDAs – Off the Shelf Technology IS Available and Reliable**
- Responders and staff can carry PDAs that offer Data, VoIP, Video, Cell Phone, and normal “Office” software, such as Databases, Word Documents, and Spreadsheets
- Duty Rosters and Schedules, Operational Instructions (OI’s), Technical Manuals, Personnel Rosters

## Alternative Communications

**What we have here, is a “failure to communicate”**

- In disasters, communication difficulties are often hard to separate from coordination difficulties, and the greatest coordination difficulties are inter-organizational.
- Therefore, many of the communications problems are those related to information sharing.
- Frequently, the means for communication exists, but mostly overlooked or unfamiliar and therefore reluctant to communicate with others using alternative methods.
- 				 Everyone Uses IP Traffic In Everyday Use

## Alternative Communications

**What we have here, is a “failure to communicate”**

- Inter-organizational communication is fostered by those factors which promote trust in other organizations and familiarity with how they function.
- These include: informal contacts, joint planning and training, preplanned agreements for the division of disaster responsibilities, and the use of similar terminology, procedures, and performance criteria. Inter-organizational radio networks, common mapping systems, and computer networks also contribute to effective communications.** **

## Alternative Communications

**Working with WISPs**

**	****	****	****	****PRINCIPLE**
- Those who work together well on a daily basis tend to work together well in disasters
- The Importance of “Pre-Incident" Communications
- Development of Trust
- Resolution of Political, Personal, and Jurisdictional Disputes
- Knowledge of How Each Other Functions
- Knowledge About Routine Functions
- Knowledge About Preplanned Disaster Functions
- Standardization
- Joint Planning and Training
- Importance of Informal Contacts/MOUs

## Alternative Communications

- There are advantages to these overlooked assets that are applicable to inter-organizational disaster communications. One of the values of a prearranged regional or state-wide “MOU" is that it can even facilitate rapid response. Not only does a “MOU" allow resources to report their presence to those coordinating incident operations, but it can also be used to obtain essential initial information, such as:
**Are they, in fact, needed? (If not, they can be instructed to abort any planned response.)**
**Where are they to report?**
**How do they get to the check-in area?**
**Are there any hazards that might be encountered en route?**
**Are they to switch to another radio frequency for further communication?**

**Working with WISPs**

## Alternative Communications

**Suggestions for EOCs**

**	****	****	****PLANNING CHECKPOINTS**
**Does your disaster training program familiarize the members of various organizations with Alternative Communications?**
**Do the organizations in your area have joint training sessions that deal with the common aspects of using Alternative Communications disaster response?**
**Have the emergency organizations in your area adopted standard terminology and procedures?**
**Has your area established inter-agency Alternative communications networks?**
**Are your agencies' radio systems protected against disruption from common disaster agents? Are back-up to back-up  precautions provided for the communications equipment of local commercial WISPs?**

## Alternative Communications

**Communications Facts for EOCs**

**FACT:**** **
**     ****All EOC’s have a Communications Representative on their staff as part of their organizational chart**
**FACT: **
**     ****More than one private Communications company is operating in the Disaster Area**
**FACT:**** **
**     ****Civilian representatives from government vendors will be on-hand to help**
**FACT:****  **
**     ****All of these communications industry representatives can not possibly fit nor be wanted in the EOC**

## Alternative Communications

**FACT: All EOC’s have a Communications Representative on their staff as part of their organizational chart.**
- Standard operating procedures, put a government communications representative to manage all communications factors for the OEM
- Should be in charge of ALL communications needs:
- Existing “Normal” Communications Modes
- Additional
- Local Amateur Radio Operators
- Local Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs)

**Communications Facts for EOCs**

## Alternative Communications

**FACT: More than one Private Communications Company is Operating in the Disaster Area.**
- Example:  Landline, Cellular, Paging, Broadcast, WISPs, Satellite, Cable, etc.
- Dual Interests: Primary – Help with Emergency Response, Secondary – Get Company Assets Operational
**NOTE: Most of the time, the communications needs of the responding agencies can be solved by fostering the interests of private communications company. DO NOT DISCRIMINATE – ALL ARE IMPORTANT**

**Communications Facts for EOCs**

## Alternative Communications

**FACT: Civilian Representatives from Government Vendors will be on-hand to help.**
- e.g. If the agency is using Motorola radios, Motorola representatives will be on-hand to fulfill any needs that may arise.
- MA / COM
- CISCO
- Etc.
**Suggestion: **They are all needed but not enough room for everyone.

**Communications Facts for EOCs**

## Alternative Communications

**FACT: All of these communications industry representatives can not possibly fit nor be wanted in the EOC.**
- Simply not enough room in the EOC
- Many EOCs are a room of approx 15 x 25 feet (board room style)
-  Adds to background “chatter”
- Too many people talking at one time
**Suggestion: **Separate All Non-Governmental Communications Folks Into a Collocated Area

**Communications Facts for EOCs**

## Alternative Communications

**OEM Communications**
**Some Cool And Cost Saving Things You Could Be Doing**

## Alternative Communications

**Wireless Remote PBX System**
**Redline Communications**
**AN-30e**
**Simultaneous IP and TDM Traffic**
**Up to 8 T1/E1 Full and Fractional (nx64) TDM Ports**
**DFS and ATPC**

## Alternative Communications

**	****	****Statewide Fixed Landline PBX System**
**	****State Level Asterisk Server**
- Be Your Own VoIP Provider (Vonage, Packet8, etc.)
- Buy or Build Your Own (FREE) - Asterisks Server
- Regular Ole Computer
- PSTN Lines (Normal Phone Lines)
- Distribution System = Broadband (Mostly already in place)
- Why
- COST, COST, COST – One Time Cost v. Recurring Telco Charges
- Schools Have Been Doing It For Years

## Alternative Communications

**Alternative Communications**

**  **** ****          **
**Enables wireless broadband network     **
**     ****with 1xEV-DO PC card or phone **
**Supports high rates up to 2.4 Mbps **
**     ****(typical download speed of 400-700 kpbs) **
**Four Ethernet ports for wired connection **
**802.11b & g for wireless connection **
**Advanced firewall and security control **
**Easy configuration and set-up **
**Smooth migration to future 1xEV-DO releases **
**Current Price: $229**

## Alternative Communications

**Wireless Extension Cords???**

**Hottest New Technology**

## Alternative Communications

**Hottest New Technology**

**iPhone**
**Phone**
**WiFi**
**Browser (Google Maps Included)**
**Email**
**Text Messaging**

## Alternative Communications

**Talk to Your Local WISP****Every state has over a dozen**

**They Already Know**
**What the equipment can and can not do**
**The RF environment situation**
**They aren’t trying to “sell” you something**
**All reports agree**
**Elevate the IT sections in your OEM Communications Divisions**
**Add Alternative Communications Solutions**
**Armature Radio Operators are there and extremely useful**
**Limited in capabilities**

## Alternative Communications

**WISP Industry**

**Just Like Everything Else In Life**
**Most are Very Good At What They Do**
**Some are Not So Good**
**Industry Standards**
**PART-15.ORG - Central, Single Point of Contact **
**Provides a ‘faster” response**
- -** No land lines needed**
**Flooding has no effect**
**WISP Volunteers - OEMs**
**Loss of Power has little effect**
**Most systems are 12 volt (Car Batteries and small Solar panels)**

## Alternative Communications

**Communications “Stake-Holders” are Emergency Responders**
**	****	****All Reports and Analysis reveal Comm Folks (civilian and government) are 1****st**** Responders**
**More Information**
- _[chairman@part-15.org](mailto:chairman@part-15.org)_
- _[www.part-15.org](http://www.part-15.org/)_

## Alternative Communications

**Emergency Response Guide to Alternative Communications**
**One Day Seminar**
**Usually at State or County Level**
**Train the Trainer**
**Checklist Inclusion **
**Emergency Communications Discussion Forum**
- _[www.oescom.com/forum](http://www.oescom.com/forum)_
**Federal**
**State**
**Local**
**Tribal**
**Vendor**
**Service Providers**

**Additional Resources**

## Alternative Communications

**Single POC**
**Maintains a database of WISPs**
**Service Areas**
**Equipment On-hand**
**Level of Expertise**
**Maintains a database of WISPs**
**Service Areas**
**Equipment On-hand**
**Vendor and Technology Neutral**
**Better for us to call the vendor for your needs**
- Harder for vendor to sell us something that will not fill the need
**Consulting**
**Plans, policies and procedures**
**Equipment Selection**

**What Can PART-15.ORG Do For You?**

## Alternative Communications

**Photo Op**
**Tells the story**

## Alternative Communications

## Alternative Communications