Interagency Operations

1. Interagency Operations Standard Operating Procedures Jim Reutlinger, SEARCH

2. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES “The devil is in the details!”

3. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures What: • Formalized interagency agreements on how the system will be maintained and used, integrating NIMS. (The National Incident Management System)

4. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Why: • Interagency communications policies and procedures establish how technology is to be used to achieve interoperability. • Integration of NIMS ensures an operational focus compatible with incident management systems with other potential cooperators beyond the initiative.

5. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Who: • The system governance board approves acceptable policies and procedures developed by User and Technical Committees.

6. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures When: • Starting early in the project and carried on through a process of continuous improvements after implementation.

7. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures • Interoperable SOP’s Require the Following: • A Project Foundation • Executive Sponsor • Educated about the need for partner-wide interoperability SOP • Understanding the associated costs/recurring budget item • The need for Inter Agency/ Discipline on-going training and exercises

8. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures SOP DEVELOPMENT • A Project Foundation (continued) • MOU/MOA between partner agencies BEFORE they join the system!!!!!!! • Plain language • Regional communication plan • Budget for equipment, training and exercises

9. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures • A Project Foundation (continued) • Develop the Charter • Make the business case • Radio Communications • Equipment Budget • Personnel Training • Equipment Maintenance

10. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures • A Project Foundation (continued) • The Regional Communication Plan • NIMS/ICS for all disciplines, EOC and PSAP • On-going training for Disciplines, EOC and PSAP • Tactical interoperability plan • Data management Plan

11. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures • A Project Foundation (continued) • Create an SOP committee or sub-committee under Operations User Group • Committee should reflect makeup of participating disciplines • Use existing regional task force or advocacy group

12. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures “The best technology and infrastructure cannot make up for a poor or non-existent communications plan.”

13. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Interoperability Tech Guide • Integrate NIMS into SOPs • Establish and Use a Standard Method • Standard Template Example: • A purpose or objective statement • A technical background statement describing capabilities and constraints under which the standard, protocol, or procedure is used • An operational context statement addressing when it is appropriate • A recommended protocol/standard statement addressing related criteria that qualify use of the one being established • The recommended procedure, itself, describing how the task is performed, • A management statement describing who is responsible for supervising or managing this procedure

14. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Creating Operational Policies and Procedures • The Technical and User Committees of the governing body are commonly tasked with responsibility to create the SOPs, carry them through approval and adoption, and maintain them over time. • ICS Communications Unit (NIMS) • Incident Dispatch Teams (Tactical Dispatch) • Emergency Traffic (How to handle) • Channel Span of Control (Off loading busy channels) • Standard Language (Drop the use of codes) • Communications-order Model (Message acknowledgement) • Operational Unit Reporting (Standardized reporting)

15. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Creating Operational Policies and Procedures • The Incident Communications Plan • SOPs drive the development of the incident communications plan • The plan is specific to an incident due to its unique geographic location the type of operations • The ICS 205 Template identifies communications resources for the incident • Functional assignments • Technical parameters of the resource, such as frequencies and tones for conventional channels. • the ICS 205 says a lot about the participating agencies and the incident command structure

16. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures • The diagram depicts a realistic organizational chart identifying responders to a hypothetical event by their function.

17. SOP DEVELOPMENT Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures What Does Success Look Like? • Region/State wide SOP compatibility between jurisdictions, disciplines and agencies • Region/State wide integration between jurisdictions, agencies and disciplines • Region/State communication plan compatibility

18. Mission Critical Incidents • PSAP, EOC, Incident Command, Tactical Operations • Multi-agency, multi-discipline • Use of plain language • NIMS/ICS • Use of Communication Unit Leaders • Use of unit identification Swap radios • NIM/ICS • Plain language • Use of Unit Identification • Radio Cache activation/deactivation • PSAP management of Gateway request • Gateway activation • Gateway deactivation

19. SAFECOMWhat is it? SAFECOM, a communications program of the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC), with its Federal partners, provides research, development, testing and evaluation, guidance, tools, and templates on communications-related issues to local, tribal, state, and federal response agencies. SAFECOM is working to address the need to develop better technologies and processes for the multi-jurisdictional and cross-disciplinary coordination of existing systems and future networks.

20. SAFECOMContinuum

21. SAFECOMKey Drivers for Progression Along Continuum • Leadership commitment to achieve interoperability • Leadership support for collaboration across disciplines • Frequent usage of interoperability solutions • Coordination across all disciplines (Governance, Technology, SOPs, Training) • Examples: • The Regional Committee must review and approve equipment purchases, SOPs, and training plans • Equipment must be purchased to develop SOPs and training materials • SOPs must be in place prior to developing training

22. SAFECOMElements of Comprehensive Local/Regional Interoperability SOP’s • Progression along the continuum is a parallel process • In other words, you cannot progress along continuum if only one discipline has advanced • Example, if you procure new equipment but have not conducted exercises for use of the new equipment, you have not truly progressed along the continuum • Goal: • Region Wide SOP Integrationbetween agencies and disciplines

23. Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies And Procedures Questions?