Homeland Security: Federal Leadership and Intergovernmental Cooperation Required to Achieve First Responder Interoperable Communications

DHS continued develop a nationwide database of interoperable public safety communication frequencies. In June 2007, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) published the NCC / NPSTC Standard Channel Nomenclature for Public Safety Interoperability Channels. The NPSTC is supported through funding by DHS's Office of Interoperability & Compatibility. The requirement for a common naming protocol for public safety's interoperability frequencies was identified in early 2000 by the Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC), a Federal Advisory Committee chartered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that operated from 1999 to 2003, and provided recommendations to the Commission on operational and technical parameters for use of the 700 MHz public safety band. With regard to costs, NPSTC, with unanimous support from the SAFECOM Executive Committee, has recommended to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's SAFECOM Program that its Federal Interoperability Grant Guidance be modified to specifically provide that, for interoperability-related grants, the cost of reprogramming communications infrastructure and subscriber equipment, and the cost of generating or revising first responder training curriculum and materials to implement the Standard Channel Nomenclature for the Public Safety Interoperability Channels be specifically designated as allowable grant expenses to facilitate interoperability.

DHS conducts ongoing assessments of existing emergency communications capabilities across all levels of government in order to comply with the Post-Katrina Act. These DHS assessments were delivered in a two-part National Communications Capabilities Report issued in April and July of 2008. The April 2008 report outlines preliminary insights about the current inventory of emergency communications capabilities, as well as the range of capabilities needed by emergency response providers and relevant government officials to communicate in the event of natural disasters or acts of terrorism. The July 2008 report draws on findings from other activities such as the development and review of the Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans (SCIPs) and is designed to be used to form the foundation for the National Emergency Communications Plan. DHS anticipates that the report will assist officials at all levels of government in making informed decisions about interoperable emergency communications, establishing priorities, and allocating resources more effectively. DHS's Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) developed in July 2008 a National Emergency Communications Plan in consultation with other federal and states. According to OEC, the plan builds on key efforts such as the review of the SCIPs and Investment Justifications that are part of states' and urban areas' grant proposals, and the assessment of existing and needed capabilities to define national goals and objectives. The plan includes recommendations to address existing capability gaps and provide a roadmap for achieving operable and interoperable emergency communications. DHS's goal is that the plan will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all federal, state, local, and tribal entities that play a role in emergency communications and will likely provide a more accurate and complete picture of the resources that OEC will need to execute its responsibilities under the national plan.

DHS's Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program leverages the requirement for states to provide a summary description of the current state of their governance structure and activities, including (a) number of public safety agencies which entered into formal interoperability agreements (e.g., MOU); (b) existence of a formal/informal interoperability group (e.g., working group) that discusses interoperability issues across the state and/or region; (c) number of agencies that share formal standard operating procedures (SOPs) for day-to-day, task force, and mutual aid communications interoperability; (d) number of agencies and types of disciplines and levels of government that are engaged in joint training events. Also, under DHS's fiscal year 2007 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), DHS identified allowable grant program costs to include the development and adoption of statewide interoperable communications plans.

DHS's PSIC grant program of 2007 was developed to leverage the requirement for states to develop, adopt, and submit Statewide Plans. These plans must address locally-driven interoperable communications capabilities among local and tribal government entities, and authorized nongovernmental organizations. The development and adoption of a Statewide Plan is also required by Section I.C.5 of the 2006 HSGP Guidance and Application Kit. Beginning in February 2008, DHS's Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) in consultation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)--part of the Department of Commerce--oversaw a peer review process to evaluate, approve, and provide feedback to states and territories on their SCIPs and Investment Justifications. This overall effort is in varying stages of completion. For example, in April 2008, OEC completed the review and approval process of all SCIPs submitted by the 56 U.S. states and territories. NTIA completed the approval of the accompanying Investment Justifications in June 2008. OEC has leveraged the findings and recommendations to formulate the National Emergency Communications Plan (although OEC does not plan to release the findings from the peer review process). Additionally, OEC developed a National Communications Capabilities Report--an assessment of existing emergency communications capabilities across all levels of government. This review process will allow the Department to gain a better understanding of the state of interoperability across the nation, and in turn, will help determine the level and type of support DHS will need to deliver to the states and territories as they work towards enhancing interoperable communications capabilities, according to DHS officials. While DHS continues to encourage and assist states in the development of their SCIPs, FEMA grant programs currently require investment justifications to demonstrate that their proposed projects align with the vision, goals, and objectives of the state's homeland security strategies.

DHS has established the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) in response to the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act. OEC supports the Secretary of Homeland Security in developing, implementing, and coordinating interoperable and operable communications for the emergency response community at all levels of government, and is housed within DHS's Office of Cyber Security and Communications. OEC was established to oversee the transition of three programs from other DHS entities into OEC: the Integrated Wireless Network (IWN), the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP), and the SAFECOM program. The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 established SAFECOM as a long-term program, as it transferred SAFECOM?s policy and planning functions to the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) within the National Protection and Programs Directorate. OEC has engaged with the nation's emergency response community at the local, tribal, state and federal levels on numerous initiatives designed to ensure, accelerate, and attain interoperable emergency communications nationwide.