U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
tEcH GUIDE for
communications Interoperability A Guide for Interagency Communications Projects
Copyright 2006 SEARCH Group, Incorporated. The U.S. Department of Justice reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use, this book for Federal Government purposes. This document may be freely distributed and used for noncommercial and educational purposes. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by any means (including electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) for commercial purposes without the prior permission of the U.S. Department of Justice or the author(s).
U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
tEcH GUIDE for
communications Interoperability A Guide for Interagency Communications Projects
By Dan Hawkins
This publication was supported by cooperative agreement #2003CKWXK054 awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to SEARCH Group, Incorporated, 7311 Greenhaven Drive, Suite 145, Sacramento, CA 95831. The opinions or recommendations contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific organizations, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement of the product by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Office of the Director 1100 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20005
Dear Colleague:
Collaboration is the key to successful interoperable communications. The same practices that pertain to planning, purchasing, and managing traditional information technology systems apply to interoperable communications systems. What makes interoperability projects inherently more difficult are the various needs, capabilities, and operational practices of the participating agencies. Interagency collaboration is as important to achieving interoperability as developing the appropriate technological infrastructure.
Having awarded millions of dollars to help metropolitan regions throughout the nation establish and enhance their interoperable communications systems, the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is keenly aware of the challenges that confront agencies working toward interoperability. At the same time, through its work on the SAFECOM Program, the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) within the Department of Homeland Security has worked directly with emergency responders from across the Nation to identify best practices in communications interoperability. It also has provided the practitioner community with invaluable tools and information, such as the Statewide Communications Interoperability Planning (SCIP) Methodology, to make the process of improving interoperability more manageable.
This Tech Guide for Communications Interoperability: A Guide for Interagency Communications Projects shares what we have learned and assists you with planning, procuring, and implementing your new communications system. This publication is targeted at the entire emergency response community, not only the Law Enforcement community.
This guide is intended to provide you with practical information to support your effort to successfully establish interagency, interdisciplinary, and inter-jurisdictional voice and data communications systems. By increasing interoperability and information sharing among the nations emergency response communities, the safety of both practitioners and the citizens they serve can be better secured.
We trust that you will find this guide helpful, and encourage you to visit www. cops.usdoj.gov and www.safecomprogram.gov to learn more about the other numerous resources offered by the COPS Office and the OIC.
Sincerely,
Carl R. Peed Director COPS U.S. Department of Justice
Dr. David Boyd Director Command, Control and Interoperability U. S. Department of Homeland Security
http:www.safecomprogram.govhttp:cops.usdoj.gov
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Contents
About the Guide
Part I: What Is Communications
Interoperability?
Acknowledgments .................................................................. xvAbout the Author .................................................................. xvi
About the Guide ....................................................................... 3AssumptionsAbout You......................................................... 4AssumptionsAbout Your Project ........................................... 5How this Guide Is Organized.................................................... 5Definition of Icons ................................................................... 6Where to Go From Here ........................................................... 8
Chapter 1IntroductionA Changing Environment ...................... 13Public Expectations ................................................................ 13Evolving Communications Needs........................................... 14Developing Technologies........................................................ 15The Interoperability Equation ................................................ 16What Will Tomorrow Bring? .................................................. 18
Chapter 2Key Challenges and Critical Elements ............................ 21Recent Findings: Why Public Safety Cant Talk ...................... 22
Incompatible and Aging Communications Equipment ..... 23Limited and Fragmented Funding ..................................... 24Limited and Fragmented Planning .................................... 25Lack of Coordination and Cooperation............................. 25Limited and Fragmented Radio Spectrum......................... 26
Critical Elements to Achieving Interoperability...................... 28Governance ....................................................................... 28Standard Operating Procedures ........................................ 28
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Training and Exercises ....................................................... 29Frequency of Use ............................................................... 29Technology ........................................................................ 29
One More Time: Its the Planning and Coordination ............. 30
Chapter 3OperabilityJob #1 ....................................................... 35A Proportional Perspective..................................................... 36Extreme Operations9/11 .................................................... 37
Important Conclusions...................................................... 38National Incident Management System ................................. 39
Common Terminology ...................................................... 40Integrated Communications.............................................. 40
Operational Building Blocks................................................... 41
Chapter 4Interoperability in the Integrated Enterprise ................ 45What is the Enterprise? ....................................................... 45A Complex System of Systems ............................................... 46
The Call Arrives ................................................................. 46The Call Is Dispatched....................................................... 46First Responders Respond ................................................. 47Service Is Delivered ........................................................... 47
Enterprise Integration ............................................................ 48How Did Communicating Get so Complicated?................ 48
A Vision of Information Sharing............................................ 49Information Sharing Concepts: SOA What?........................... 50
Common Terminology Aids Communication ................... 51Stating Requirements for Information Sharing ...................... 53
The Good News on Stating Requirements......................... 54Leadership Rules .................................................................... 54
See the Big Picture ............................................................. 55
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Part II: How Is Interoperability
Achieved?
Chapter 5 ................................... 63Build an Interagency Foundation
The Heart of It: Partnerships, Planning, and
More Partnerships ............................................................... 64Foundations 101: Decision-Making Structure ........................ 64Foundations 102: Project Management .................................. 73Foundations 103: Project Charter ........................................... 74Footings on Bedrock ............................................................... 77
Chapter 6Conduct a Needs Analysis............................................... 81Needs Analysis 101: Assess Current Business
Processes .............................................................................. 83Needs Analysis 102: Determine Stakeholder Needs ............... 89
The Goals .......................................................................... 89Techniques ........................................................................ 90
Needs Analysis 103: Develop
