Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Programs and Resources Florida Governor s Hurricane Conference May 14, 2015 Pam Montanari OEC Coordinator FL, GA, AL MS Zach Johnson, Operations Manager Office of Emergency Communications
OEC Serves Public Safety Through Interoperable Emergency Communications Support Planning & Preparedness National Emergency Communications Plan: Nation s roadmap to improve emergency communications interoperability. Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans: Locally- driven, multi- jurisdictional, multi- disciplinary strategic plans (implemented in all 56 States and territories). NS/EP Executive Committee: Oversee the development, implementation, testing, exercise and sustainment of National / Emergency Preparedness communications that support Continuity of Government, FSLTT emergency preparedness and Emergency Support Function - 2 response communications. Response Coordination Technical Assistance: Provides no- cost, speci1ic training, exercise, governance and usage support and communications engineering assessments across land mobile radio, broadband and 9-1- 1 aspects of interoperable emergency communications through Statewide Interoperability Coordinators and other requestors. Regional Coordination: Collaborate with regional and local SLTT stakeholders to strengthen emergency communications Partnerships: Support FSLTT stakeholder groups (SAFECOM, National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators, Emergency Communications Preparedness Center,) Guidance Documents: Publishes standards, grant guidance, templates, best practices, and information regarding interoperable emergency communications. Priority Telecommunications Services: Provides operable and interoperable communications for national security/ emergency preparedness community during all- hazards events. Programs include landline (Government Emergency Telecommunications Service), and wireless (Wireless Priority Service) priority and repair/installation of vital voice/data services through Telecommunications Service Priority. 2
The Creation of the NECP Sept. 11, 2001 Disparate Systems Lack of Shared Governance / SOPs Insufficient Site Hardening Hurricane Katrina Lack of Knowledge on National Response Framework 2008
OEC NECP Support, By the Numbers 1220+ Technical Assistance (TA) workshops since 2007 with a total value of approximately $33 million OEC has assisted all 56 states and territories to develop and maintain SCIPs In the past year, OEC has conducted 47 SCIP Revision Workshops Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP) Ø FY 2008: $48.5 million Ø FY 2009: $48.5 million Ø FY 2010: $48 million Border Interoperability Demonstration Project (BIDP) grant program allocated $25.5 million directly to grantees Ø Additional $4.5 million to TA and grant administration 5,000+ COMLs, COMTs, and AUXCOMMs trained nationwide
Impact of OEC Efforts Joplin, MO OEC s Technical Assistance Trained amateur radio operators, or auxiliary communicators were able to fill communications gaps and offer assistance when the storm hit. 2010 Joplin, MO Tornado
Impact of OEC Efforts Hurricane Irene Technical Assistance 16 OEC-trained Communications Unit Leaders (COMLs) on alert days before storm statewide in North Carolina COMLs checked and assembled critical communications equipment at multiple coordination centers/communications units throughout state Hurricane Irene August 2011 We were able to assemble full communications packages within hours. Greg Hauser, OEC-trained COML
Impact of OEC Efforts Hurricane Sandy Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP) and Priority Services Grant funding provided COML, COMT, field guides and TICPs, which improved communications Hurricane Sandy, 2012 More than 32,000 GETS and WPS calls were successfully placed during the storm and its aftermath 3 OEC Coordinators supported emergency operations in their regions
Impact of OEC Efforts Boston Marathon Planning, Technical Assistance, Regional Coordination and Priority Services OEC provided SCIP workshops, communication capabilities assessment and COML training OEC s Regional Coordination Program coordinated use of interoperability channels Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) had call completion rate of over 99%, providing priority access to over 280 calls Boston Marathon April 2013
NECP Update Preparing for the Future New technologies and capabilities exist today that did not exist in 2008 As the emergency communications landscape evolves, so must the emergency communications ecosystem established in this NECP update The 2014 NECP is designed to support public safety in today s emergency communications ecosystem
The Future of First Responder Communications E9-1-1 Land Mobile Radio Federal Networks Alerts & Warnings PAST Limited communication options Reliance on voice Scarcity of information FUTURE Wireless Priority Service Social Media NG 9-1-1 Text to 9-1-1 Mobile Data (Commercial/ FirstNet) VoIP / VoLTE Many communication networks Increase in mobile to mobile/data communications Abundance of information
Emergency Communications Ecosystem Incident Response and Coordination Governmental Agencies (Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial) Governmental Agencies (Federal, State, Local, Tribal, Territorial) Notifications, Alerts & Warnings Our Immediately In Watertown two-way radio after the police systems announcement, asked performed residents the well, FBI.gov to remain and our website indoors, communications received and more so-called plan saw traffic than it has ever first reverse seen, responders an 911 official calls through said, were as those well made as chaotic a to every "sizable" hours house after jump advising the in calls blast residents, to their tip many line. The of FBI set -- Steve whom up a Saffier new were site, just BostonMarathontTips.FBI.gov, waking up, stay to report MA put. SWIC tips and Boston Marathon COML -- The -- The Wall Independent, Street Journal Watertown, MA Reporting, & Requests for Assistance Public, NGOs, Private Sector Public Information Exchange Public, NGOs, Private Sector
OEC s Approach to the NECP Development Public Safety Personnel (3 Million +) 30+ Stakeholder Working Group Meetings SAFECOM NPSTC NCSWIC ECPC FirstNet PSAC OneDHS PSAPs Public Safety Organizations Input from Partners / Associations Governance & Leadership Planning & Procedures Training & Exercise Operational Coordination Research & Development Development of Five (5) Strategic Goals A True National Plan 12
2014 NECP What it Means for You Governance & Leadership Update governance structures Explore Federal emergency communications grants Strengthen regional structures to foster multi-state collaboration Planning and Procedures Update Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans Coordinate nationwide public safety broadband planning throughout state Develop SOPs for new technologies (e.g., NG 9-1-1) Training & Exercises Develop training and exercise programs that target gaps in emergency communications capabilities Leverage conferences and workshops to promote training opportunities
2014 NECP What it Means for You Operational Coordination Enhance jurisdictions ability to request communications assets during operations Ensure inventories of emergency communication resources are updated Ensure Public Safety Answering Points support dispatch communications Research & Development Support the evolution of alert and warning systems (e.g., text-based) Continue to support Project 25 standards development for interoperability Update priority service programs to migrate to internet protocol-enabled fixed and mobile broadband networks
OEC Programs to Implement the NECP 2013-2014 SCIP Revision Workshops 47 Workshops Delivered from 2013-2014 Provided SCIP template information to remaining 9 states/territories 2015 SCIP Update Workshops Day-and-a Half Workshop to revise SCIP goals; Align to NECP; Facilitate challenging discussions Scheduling 21 Requested Workshops SCIP Execution Support Ongoing Support to SWIC to address obstacles in accomplishing SCIP Goals and Initiatives Quarterly contact with the SWIC to discuss state s progress on SCIP goals and initiatives
OEC Programs to Implement the NECP Communications Unit Training To date, OEC has trained over 5,000 communications unit members nationwide We will continue to provide this vital training to keep emergency communications moving forward Training Type Students Trained # of Workshops Auxiliary Communications 966 49 Communications Unit Leader 2836 139 Communications Unit Leader Train the Trainer 135 17 Communications Technician 1249 93 Communications Technician Train the trainer 54 10
Regional Coordination Resources Build unity of effort Shared experiences, same time zone Develop trusted relationships Collaboration brings all the stakeholders to the table as equal partners
Public Safety Tools Website www.publicsafetytools.info
Communications Asset Survey and Mapping (CASM) NextGen Tool 19
CASM NextGen Integrated Platform MCAs Backhaul SWIC Tools FMT MDST SST CASM NextGen Coverage Public Safety Library
21 Purpose of CASM NextGen CASM NextGen can inventory all public safety emergency communication capabilities A single database to collect information about agencies/organizations, communication assets and personnel Who owns assets, where they are located, and POCs How assets are used by public safety agencies and other organizations involved in emergency response communications A method to find, filter, display, manage, and report the data Standardizes information and data relationships nation-wide in a common interface for all users
22 CASM NextGen Functionality CASM was released in 2005 for use by Urban Areas Initiative Urban Areas. In 2007, CASM was expanded to statewide operations. In 2014, CASM NextGen was redesigned to: Provide National View operations for cross border usage Integrate CASM, SWIC, Frequency Mapping Tool for multiple data layers on a single map Provide single credentials for access Add data and functions to support FirstNet assessments Integrate agency info from CASM, SWIC, Mobile Data Survey Tool and External Sources (e.g., Commercial Db, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Fire list) States currently control the access rights and data entered for their jurisdictions into CASM NextGen. The states may also decide to provide multi-state access.
What Data is in CASM Nationwide? Mobile Assets Fixed Assets Agencies COMU
Geographic Scope of Dataset e.g.: CASM Tower Data Snapshot (21,549 towers) 7
CASM: Google Based Map View with Layers Filter each Layer Independently Full Google Map functionality including Street and Satellite Views Switch to a Table View with same filters active, for sorting, further filtering and editing Filter geographically down to counties Show or Hide Data Layers Layers of data overlay together on map 8
CASM Data Layers (1 of 2) Filter categories are consistent with NIMS, where applicable Agency Layer (17 disciplines, federal, tribal, state, local) Fixed Assets (Radio Systems, Towers, Gateways, etc.) Mobile Assets (MCUs, Caches, and 10 other types) Talk-out Coverage Plots
CASM Data Layers (2 of 2) COMU Layer: COMU personnel mapped at agency location FMT: Detailed FCC data, updated bi-weekly My Data: Upload and share your own SHP File overlays Map Library of Overlays (FEMA Regions, etc)
Additional CASM Functionality All Map Icons have pop-ups with detailed information about the resource and options for more detail or editing. 11
Pop-ups or Table Views 12
Additional CASM Features Export data in Excel (CSV) format Generate Tactical Interoperable Communications Plans and 217A reports SWICs have access to COMU Class and Credential information Access National Interoperability Channel information Define/Access State Channel Interoperability Groups Data access is controlled by State Account Manager (AM) State AM may delegate access management Users have View or Edit permissions to county or agency level Any user may request access to any data through that State s AM Automated requests are made through CASM 13
Public Safety Tools Website Mobile Apps www.publicsafetytools.info
CASM Mobile Finder App Find Mobile Assets in the field Contact POCs from within the app View access only Expanding to find Fixed Assets and Channels 17
Public Safety Library App CASM Users Publish files (PDF, Doc, Images, etc) Public Mobile Users download to local library Users are notified when newer versions are published Files can be passcode protected 18
Priority Telecommunications Services Priority Telecommunications Services provide NS/EP and public safety users the ability to communicate on telecommunications networks during times of congestion. Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) Wireless Priority Service (WPS) Telecommunications Service Priority (TSP)
GETS: Solution for Wireline Congestion GETS provides priority access to the landline networks when abnormal call volumes exist, providing enhanced call completion for critical personnel. GETS has historically provided over 90% call completion rates Over 95% of GETS calls were completed during hurricanes Isaac, Irene, and Sandy GETS can be used from virtually any landline telephone to provide priority for emergency calls There is no charge to enroll in GETS It provides priority queuing of calls over the landline network - not a separate system
Making a GETS Call 1. If you have a dial tone, dial GETS Access Number 2. Listen for tone, then enter your PIN (do not enter # after last digit) 3. Listen for voice prompt: Please enter your destination number now. 4. Enter the destination number (omit the 1 before the area code # cannot be toll free) 5. You will hear an announcement You are using GETS, AT&T/Verizon/Sprint 6. Network will route your call to the destination telephone number Toll Free number for each GETS carrier (backup) GETS Access Number User Name and Organization Toll Free User Assistance number (24x7) Periods of silence are normal particularly if call is queued during heavy congestion. Calls may take 30 to 90 seconds to complete 12 Digit (PIN) Personal Identification Number
WPS: Solution for Wireless Congestion WPS provides priority voice access to the cellular networks when abnormal call volumes exist, providing enhanced call completion for critical NS/EP personnel. WPS has historically provided over 90% call completion rates During Hurricane Sandy, over 98% of WPS calls were completed WPS is available on all the major cellular carriers and many regional cellular carriers WPS is an add-on feature and must be added to each applicable cell phone subscription Calls must be placed through the subscribed phone to receive priority access to the network
Making a WPS Call 1. Confirm you have radio signal 2. Enter *272 + destination telephone number and push SEND key (example: *272 + 703 818 4387 + CALL) 3. Network will route call with priority to the destination telephone number Audible alerts vary among carriers and mobile phone models During WPS call set-up you may hear alternating periods of ringing and silence Busy signal, announcement, or extended silence indicates call cannot complete Screen messages vary among carriers and mobile phone models. WPS calls show same screen messages as regular calls While WPS calls are in queue screen message usually displays Calling + Destination Number Periods of continuous ringing and/or silence may occur particularly if call is queued at several points during heavy congestion. Calls may take 30 to 90 seconds to complete. 38
GETS and WPS Applications GETS and WPS can be used to supplement public safety communications during times of network congestion: Contact off-duty personnel on their home/ cell phones Communicate with response personnel that do not have radio access (e.g. Red Cross, volunteers, utility companies) Discuss sensitive information that may not be appropriate for radio broadcast Maintain communications with leadership Access to teleconferencing capabilities
GETS and WPS Best Practices GETS and WPS are designed to be used only during an emergency and when normal calling methods are unsuccessful due to network congestion (e.g., caller receives a fast busy signal or message like, Your call cannot be completed at this time. Please try again later. ) Carry your GETS card and WPS phone at all times you never know when or where you may need it Preprogram *272 for key numbers in your cell phone contact list John Smith work: 202-555-1212 John Smith work 2: *272 202-555-1212 40
GETS and WPS Best Practices Test your GETS card and WPS phone periodically throughout the year. Testing helps you maintain familiarity with how to make GETS and WPS calls. Test GETS on every landline and cellular phone you might use in an emergency Practice using WPS ( 272) with your GETS card for end-to-end priority handling on cellular calls If you find a problem while using GETS or WPS, report it immediately to 1-800-818-4387 or 703-818-4387
Normal Processing for GETS and WPS Requests 1. Point of Contact (POC) submits request online 3. OEC sends WPS carriers request to activate service < 5 days 2. OEC reviews and approves request 4. Carriers send OEC confirmation of service activation <5 days 3. OEC sends GETS card to POC 5. OEC sends WPS confirmation email to POC (and subscriber, if possible)
Emergency Processing for GETS and WPS Requests Before a known event (hurricane, Super Bowl, etc.) Coordinate with the Service Center (866-627-2255 or 703-676-2255) It is possible to FedEx GETS cards for next-day delivery if POC submits proper paperwork Expedited WPS processing is possible, but time frames vary OEC will make every effort to coordinate with the carriers, but there is no guaranteed turnaround time At very minimum, be sure to have Carrier Account number Cell phone number
Emergency Processing for GETS and WPS Requests During or immediately following an event use immediately available resources Assign a stockpile card or share an existing GETS card When sharing a card, advise User Assistance 800-818-GETS (4387) 703-818-GETS (4387) Phone number also listed on back of GETS card When emergency is over, cancel shared cards and request new ones If a stockpile card is given to an individual, the POC should cancel it or submit the form to assign it permanently
Emergency Processing for GETS and WPS Requests If you need additional GETS or WPS enrollments Coordinate with the Service Center (866-627-2255 or 703-676-2255) After hours options are available Follow voice prompts Leave a message if there is no answer Service Center can issue stockpile GETS cards over the phone Expedited WPS processing is possible, but time frames vary OEC will make every effort to coordinate with the carriers, but there is no guaranteed turnaround time At very minimum, be sure to have Carrier Account number Phone number
46 TSP: Provisioning and Restoration Provisioning TSP authorizes priority installation of new voice and data circuits Organizations must be registered with TSP before requesting priority installation Restoration Organizations designate critical circuits to have priority repair and restoration if damaged. Circuits must be registered with TSP prior to requesting priority restoration
TSP Applications TSP is needed to provide priority repair and installation of critical voice and data circuits in many situations TSP provisioning and restoration is essential for: Repair/replacement of damaged circuits at EOCs, hospitals, PSAPs, power facilities, government headquarters, financial institutions, etc. Priority installation of new circuits when needed to support operations such as disaster response and recovery, inaugurations, and large scale national security events. events.
PTS Contact Information DHS Priority Telecommunications Service Center For expedited GETS/WPS requests, general account questions for GETS, WPS, & TSP 866-627-2255 703-676-2255 support@priority-info.com GETS/WPS User Assistance For assistance when making a GETS or WPS call, to report network or dialing problems 800-818-GETS (4387) 703-818-GETS (4387) 48
Additional Resources and Contacts For more information visit: www.dhs.gov/oec www.publicsafetytools.info www.dhs.gov/gets www.dhs.gov/wps www.dhs.gov/tsp PS Tools Support: PSToolsHelp@publicsafetytools.info CASM Support: Jeff Lee CASM Tech Lead/Support jlee@spawar.navy.mil 619-553-6639 Contact Information: Pam Montanari OEC Coordinator FL, GA, AL, MS Office of Emergency Communications 202-494-0521 Pam.montanari@hq.dhs.gov Zach Johnson Operations Manager Office of Emergency Communications 703-235-4239 Zachary.johnson@hq.dhs.gov