Washington, DC December 13, 2005

1. Disaster Communications System (DCS) Overview for State and Local GovernmentsNational Conference on Emergency Communications (NCEC)Panel 5: State and Local Emergency Communications NeedsPresented by Joe Sifer, Booz Allen Hamilton Washington, DC December 13, 2005

2. Overview • Communications Systems Threats and Threat Agents • Defining Disaster Communications Systems • Operationalizing Disaster Communications Systems • Implementation of an “Integrated” Approach to Disaster Communications

3. Significant events and disasters can cause primary communications systems to be lost, diminishing emergency response effectiveness… Planning and implementing comprehensive primary and back-up communications solutions is essential to maintaining critical operations

4. A Disaster Communications System is a set of technical solutions that provides responders and the public the ability to communicate in extreme situations • A Disaster Communications System (DCS) should provide primary and back-up communications alternatives • A DCS strategy assumes a communications system must be operable before it can be interoperable • A DCS can include multiple technical solutions for both responders and the public including: • Traditional public safety systems (e.g., tactical radio, E911); • Terrestrial and commercial wireless systems (e.g., cellular, satcom); • Quickly deployable commercial or private equipment/systems for use when traditional systems are inoperable (e.g., satellite, cellular on wheels, transportable radio systems) • Emergency notification systems and text messaging; • Amateur radio/HF radio; • Satellite television services; • Government-sponsored emergency communications services (e.g., GETS, WPS); • Survivability solutions (e.g., alternate power and charging sources)

5. As with any communications system,operationalizing a DCS is critical to mission success during an emergency • Procedures and protocols should be developed to assure effective deployment of primary and back-up solutions during an event • Training is crucial for users to understand when, where, and how to use solutions • Exercises should include injects that require participants to respond to communications problems and failures • Routine testing of DCS components/equipment • Technical support staff (government and vendor) should be ready for deployment to the field to ensure equipment/system is operational, conduct programming and maintenance, and help users troubleshoot problems • Logistics planning should cover processes to requisition and deploy equipment and ensure access to affected areas for technical support staff

6. Disaster Communications Planning Drivers • Operational requirements • Interoperability requirements • Citizen-based requirements • State and regional emergency management plans and policies • COOP plans • National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) • Lessons learned from previous events • Vendor solutions understanding • FUNDING! Effective leadership is critical to planning, approving, and funding disaster communications solutions

7. Local A Local A Local Local C Local B Local B Local C State State A State B Vertical Coordination Federal Federal B Horizontal Coordination Federal C Federal A Solving disaster communications challenges requires an integrated approach across intergovernmental and private sector boundaries… • Disaster communications must be addressed holistically and not through the lens of one agency or department • Horizontal: The need to coordinate within the same government level (e.g., federal-to-federal) • Vertical: The need to coordinate across government levels (e.g., federal-to-state) • External: The need to coordinate outside traditional government agencies (e.g., private sector to government, civil government with military) • Existing federal government programs should be leveraged to help agencies plan and fund disaster communications systems

8. The implementation of an effective, nationwide DCS strategy requires a comprehensive set of near and long-term activities “Near-Term” Activities Problem Definition and High-Risk Area Solution Development “Long-Term” Activities Establishment of a Nationwide Disaster Communications Strategy • Develop and implement funding strategies for state and local agencies and regional response structures • Implement disaster communications policy and program changes • Examine and respond to needs for standards and spectrum requirements • Institutionalize disaster communications planning into local, state, and federal disaster response plans • Provide educational and technical assistance to help agencies perform disaster communications planning and implementation • Engage government agencies and the private sector to glean lessons learned • Robustly define the problem and raise the awareness level of disaster communications needs to policy makers • Develop a disaster communications system planning methodology • Identify and respond to high-risk areas requiring immediate solutions • Identify synergies for federal communications programs to more effectively address the problem • Coordinate with existing communications working groups We must be prepared to restore communications capabilities during a disaster TODAY, while institutionalizing a culture of integrated disaster planning and policy development over the long-term

9. For additional information contact: Joe Sifer 703-902-4573