A system for establishing an electronic communications connection between two or more secure communities (1010, 1020) in response to a particular incident, wherein a secure community includes a collection of communication resources (1013, 1023) having an administrator that maintains control over the secure community and the connection, comprising: a community gateway controller comprising one or more processors; a memory coupled to the community gateway controller for storing instructions; a secure community database coupled to the community gateway controller configured to store secure community information; an encryption compatibility module in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to determine a first media transmission encryption scheme for a connection between a host secure community and a second secure community of the two or more secure communities (1010, 1020), and to determine a second media transmission encryption scheme for a connection between one or more communications resources within the host secure community and one or more communications resources within the second secure community; a graphical user interface in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to: determine that the first media transmission encryption scheme is different than the second media transmission encryption scheme; and provide a visual symbol based on the determination, for the one or more communications resources within the host secure community and the one or more communications resources within the second community; and an identification module in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to accept assignment of, initiate the storing of, and transmit identity information for the host secure community and the one or more communication resources therein, and to accept and validate identity information received from the second secure community and the one or more communication resources therein, wherein the community gateway controller, upon receipt of a request to establish a communications connection between the host and second secure communities (1010, 1020) determines whether to grant the request based on information stored in the secure community database and assigns the first media transmission encryption scheme for the communications connection based on the determination associated with the encryption compatibility module, wherein upon establishing the communications connection between the host and second secure communities, the community gateway controller relays messages between the one or more communications resources within the host secure community and the one or more communications resources within the second secure community. a community gateway controller comprising one or more processors; a memory coupled to the community gateway controller for storing instructions; a secure community database coupled to the community gateway controller configured to store secure community information; an encryption compatibility module in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to determine a first media transmission encryption scheme for a connection between a host secure community and a second secure community of the two or more secure communities (1010, 1020), and to determine a second media transmission encryption scheme for a connection between one or more communications resources within the host secure community and one or more communications resources within the second secure community; a graphical user interface in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to: determine that the first media transmission encryption scheme is different than the second media transmission encryption scheme; and provide a visual symbol based on the determination, for the one or more communications resources within the host secure community and the one or more communications resources within the second community; and determine that the first media transmission encryption scheme is different than the second media transmission encryption scheme; and provide a visual symbol based on the determination, for the one or more communications resources within the host secure community and the one or more communications resources within the second community; and an identification module in the memory, comprising instructions for directing the community gateway controller to accept assignment of, initiate the storing of, and transmit identity information for the host secure community and the one or more communication resources therein, and to accept and validate identity information received from the second secure community and the one or more communication resources therein, wherein the community gateway controller, upon receipt of a request to establish a communications connection between the host and second secure communities (1010, 1020) determines whether to grant the request based on information stored in the secure community database and assigns the first media transmission encryption scheme for the communications connection based on the determination associated with the encryption compatibility module, wherein upon establishing the communications connection between the host and second secure communities, the community gateway controller relays messages between the one or more communications resources within the host secure community and the one or more communications resources within the second secure community.