Peter S. Anderson Simon Fraser University Vancouver, Canada anderson@sfu

1. Building Emergency Lanes Along Information Highways and Skyways:Prospects and Challenges for Canada’s New Critical Infrastructures Peter S. Anderson Simon Fraser University Vancouver, Canada anderson@sfu.ca

2. SFU Research Background Applied Research • Emergency Preparedness Information Exchange (EPIX) • Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Policy Research • Telecommunications, broadcasting, information policy studies • Emergency communications – critical infrastructure, interoperability, vulnerability, needs evaluations, regulation, industry & end-user interaction

3. Applied Research

4. EPIX

5. EPIX Supported Projects Initiating and hosting WWW sites for: Federal Government • Emergency Preparedness Canada • Industry Canada - Emergency Telecommunications Branch • Transport Canada Aviation Safety - Pacific Region Provincial Governments • BC Provincial Emergency Program • BC Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (Emergency Social Services) • Ontario Emergency Measures Organization

6. EPIX Supported Projects Initiating and hosting WWW sites for: Public/Private Partnership Programs • Major Industrial Accidents Council of Canada • Safeguard • Emergency Preparedness for Industry and Commerce Council of British Columbia Volunteer NGO Programs • Emergency Planners and Managers Association of British Columbia • Emergency Social Services Association of British Columbia • SAR Info (Search and Rescue)

7. EPIX Supported Projects Hosting WWW sites for: International Programs • UN IDNDR • UN ISDR • NATO Civil Protection Committee Hosting Email Discussion Groups • Networks in Emergency Management nets-em@sfu.ca • Emergency Planning for Post-secondary Educational Institutions emerg-univ@sfu.ca • US National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue • Canadian National Hazards Assessment canhaz-assess@sfu.ca

8. EPIX Supported ProjectsEmergency Support • 1993 - present - Internet gateway/distribution of UN - OCHA disaster sitreps and appeals • 1994 - Mirror site for California EDIS system during Northridge Earthquake relief and recovery operations • 1997 - Manitoba Red River Floods - Internet site support for Emergency Preparedness Canada • 1998 – Salmon Arm Wildland Fire - Internet site support for BC Provincial Emergency Program • 1999 - British Columbia Floods - Internet site support for BC Provincial Emergency Program and emergency email distribution

9. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Objective: During crises - to enable emergency managers to remain in critical decision-making processes regardless of physical location

10. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems • interconnecting local, provincial and federal government emergency operations centers and field sites through common TCP/IP infrastructure • national and international collaboration by VPNs across the Internet British Columbia Regional VEMIS Project Pacific Region Federal Joint Alternate Site

11. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Technology • Integration of fixed and mobile wireless and wired systems • Building on common infrastructure with focus on interoperability • Using TCP/IP as common bridging protocols

12. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Components • Wired intra/internet systems • Terrestrial wireless systems • Satellite telecommunications

13. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Initial Wireless Internet Component 1996 - Present • 56 kbps UHF TCP/IP wireless system • behaves like a slower speed version of standard Ethernet system used in most offices

14. supports point-to-point and multi-point networking over large geographical areas (e.g., 120-150 Km) VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Initial Wireless Internet Component

15. VEMIS Other Interconnectable Wireless Technologies Satellite-based DirecPC MSAT VSAT Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems

16. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Other Interconnectable Wireless Technologies Terrestrial • Cellular/PCS • HF packet radio gateway • High speed spread spectrum radio

18. Related Activities • Haughton-Mars99/2000 NASA Expeditions - applying disaster communications concepts to space travel

19. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems Phase Two • Upgrading wireless backbone to highspeed 4.5 Mbps -> 100 Mbps • Establishing emergency satellite teleport with SFU to become an emergency ISP

20. VEMIS Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems High Speed Wireless Backbone • Currently moving up to 30 Mbps

21. VEMIS Emergency Satellite Teleport/PortalProposal • Establish a permanent emergency communication point-of-presence at SFU via satellite and terrestrial networks to support national and international humanitarian relief efforts • SFU to be an emergency Internet Service Provider

22. VEMIS SFU Resources Satellite Capacity • C and Ku Band ground stations • Potential connectivity: • throughout North, Central and South America • Pacific Region • Direct interconnection to Ca*Net 3 national high speed backbone

23. Coverage Examples TELESAT INTELSAT

24. VEMIS Current Participating Organizations • Industry Canada • Communications Research Centre • Pacific Region – Emergency Telecommunications • Emergency Preparedness • Canada • Simon Fraser University • Telematics Research Lab • PolyLAB • Computing Services • Discovery Parks Inc. • Wi-LAN Inc.