The Fusion Center Guidelines— Law Enforcement Intelligence, Public Safety, and the Private Sector

1. The Fusion Center Guidelines—Law Enforcement Intelligence, Public Safety, and the Private Sector Symposium on Justice and Public Safety Information Sharing March 13, 2006

2. Fusion Center Guidelines—Law Enforcement Intelligence, Public Safety, and the Private Sector Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC)

3. What Is a Fusion Center? • A collaborative effort of two or more agencies that provide resources, expertise, and/or information to the center with the goal of maximizing the ability to detect, prevent, investigate, apprehend, and respond to criminal and terrorist activity

4. Why Is the Fusion Process Important? • Supports an all-source, all-crimes, all-hazards, all-threats approach to intelligence • Blends data from different sources, including law enforcement, public safety, and the private sector • Supports risk-based, information-driven prevention, response, and consequence management programs • Supports intelligence-led policing • Fusion is the overarching process of managing the flowing of information and intelligence across all levels and sectors of government and the private sector

5. NCISP and the Intelligence Process Mission Statement and Goals Governance Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) Database Resources Interconnectivity Privacy Security Facility, Location, and Physical Infrastructure Human Resources Training of Center Personnel Multidisciplinary Awareness and Education Intelligence Services and Products Policies and Procedures Center Performance Measurement and Evaluation Funding Communications What Are the Guidelines for Fusion Centers?

6. Key Recommendations From the Focus Groups • Intelligence is the foundation for the fusion center • Develop functional categories for public safety and private sector participation • Further expand on the fusion process • Include examples of incorporating the public safety and private sector components throughout the report • Develop two-way educational process between fusion centers and participating organizations

7. Why the Guidelines Are Important • They ensure that fusion centers are established and operated consistently, resulting in enhanced coordination efforts, strengthened partnerships, and improved crime-fighting and antiterrorism capabilities • They provide assistance to centers as they prioritize and address threats posed in their specific jurisdictions for all crime types, including terrorism • They help guide administrators in developing policies, managing resources, and evaluating services • They support comprehensive information and intelligence collection and dissemination from all entities that are involved in crime prevention, including terrorism

8. What Resources Have Been Compiled for Fusion Centers? • The Fusion Center Guidelines report • A companion CD that contains sample policies, templates, checklists, resource documents, and Web site links has been developed in conjunction with the guidelines