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

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. SFU Research Background. Applied Research

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

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  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

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

  18. 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

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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. Coverage Examples TELESAT INTELSAT

  23. VEMIS 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.

  24. Policy Research

  25. Cellular Telephone UsageWithin the Canadian Emergency Management Community

  26. Importance of Communication During Emergencies

  27. Emergency Management Community Can include virtually any organization or individual that might be required to respond to a large-scale emergency or disaster.

  28. Importance of Wireless Telecommunications

  29. Cellular Telephone UseDuring Emergencies Contributing factors • Interoperability problems among emergency management organizations • Insufficient backup communications • Portability and convenience of cellular usage on a day-to-day non-emergency basis • Cellular systems often now more advanced than agencies’ own systems (connection to PSTN, data and text messaging services, etc.) • Cost

  30. Cellular Emergency Usage Issues • Coverage • Compatibility – varying standards • Privacy • Accessibility and Congestion • Cell systems generally not designed or scaled for large scale emergency use • Most don’t have priority access provisioning enabled

  31. Cellular Emergency Usage Issues Other factors affecting availability • Particular configuration of the actual site (no. of channels, mixture of analogue and digital services, etc.) • End-user calling habits (media use, fax centres at EOCs, etc.) • Sheer numbers of essential users competing for scarce channels

  32. Cellular Vulnerability Issues • Emergency power • MTSO structures/cell site locations/support systems • Seismic performance of trunk cables • Concentration of facilities and lack of route diversity – single points of failure due to co-location • Disaster response plans • Availability of documentation - timely access to sites for servicing - access to spare parts

  33. Cellular Industry Issues • New competitors may not be familiar with emergency management community requirements • Network design and implementation driven by costs, sometimes inhibiting mitigation practices • Carriers often cannot build optimum sites because of natural geography, land use restrictions, etc. • Data versus voice

  34. Cellular End-user Issues • Expectations of availability during emergencies • General knowledge of cellular systems • Educating public about use during major emergencies

  35. Cellular Policy Issues • Many countries are forbearing from regulating cellular services • New competitors may not have to meet same quality of service standards as incumbent carriers • Cellular carriers may never have been regulated at all for emergency telecommunications provisioning • Responsibility for emergency telecommunications arrangements shifting to end-users • Many countries may not have an emergency telecommunications policy framework

  36. Cellular Priority Access Issues • Who sets eligibility criteria? • Can PA arrangements be standardized? • Who has authority to invoke priority access? • Where is operations control of local networks located? • How can domestic and international roaming agreements be factored into PA arrangements? • What is or should be the liability of carriers? • Who should pay the associated costs?

  37. Emerging Issues • Can or should additional spectrum be reserved or set aside specifically for interagency emergency telecommunications interoperability? • What regulatory regime best suits emergency telecommunications requirements? • How can emergency telecommunications requirements be better integrated into existing policy frameworks? • How can domestic policies, regulations and standards remain compatible with evolving international practices? • What are the best forums for stakeholder consultation, interaction and consensus building?

  38. Examples of Emergency Telecommunications Forums Canada Industry Canada – Emergency Telecommunications • National Priority Access to Dialing Program (PAD) • Cellular Priority Access • National and Regional Emergency Telecommunications Committees Industry - • Canadian Telecommunications Emergency Planning Association • Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association Users – • Association of Public Safety Communications Officials of Canada

  39. Examples of Emergency Telecommunications Forums International • UN Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications • NATO Civil Communications Planning Committee • ITU

  40. How Communities Can Help the Telecommunications Industry Before Events • Hazard mapping & vulnerability assessment of critical telecommunications infrastructure • Identification of critical facilities and services requiring telecommunications support (including community gathering points) • Site selection/approval & fortification (e.g., flood proofing)

  41. How Communities Can Help the Telecommunications Industry During/After Events • Damage assessment information and prioritization of community recovery needs • Priority site access and transportation arrangements for inspection and restoration of services • Future community development plans

  42. World Wide Web Sources http://spectrum.ic.gc.ca/urgent http://www.reliefweb.int/telecoms/intro/wget.html

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