A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

9-1-1 An emergency telephone number that connects 9-1-1 callers to a designated answering point. Call routing to PSAP is determined by originating central office only.

E9-1-1 Enhanced 9-1-1, an emergency telephone system that automatically provides a call back number and location of caller. Based on location, provides selective routing to the closest PSAP.

Back to Top

-A-

Agency Any government, private or non-governmental organization that participates in emergency preparedness, response and/or recovery activities.

All-Hazards Approach Addresses all types of emergencies and disasters. This approach primarily denotes the use of a single set of management and response systems for response to emergencies regardless of their nature or cause.

Angle of Arrival Determines location of a wireless caller by geometrically measuring slightly different angles of arrival of a wireless signal at adjoining receivers.

Authentication Security measure designed to establish the validity of a transmission, message, or originator, or a means of verifying an individual’s authorization to receive specific categories of information.

Authorization The process of determining, by evaluating applicable access control information, whether a subject is allowed to have the specified types of access to a particular resource.

Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) Automatically connects individual automobiles with emergency services, transmitting data on the severity of the crash and opening a voice channel to emergency personnel. (Also called Automatic Collision Notification)

Back to Top

-B-

Biometrics The automated measurement of physiological or behavioral characteristics to determine or authenticate identity.  Examples of biometrics include: fingerprint, iris recognition, facial recognition, hand geometry, voice recognition, signature verification and/or keystroke recognition.

Blog Web logs, more commonly known as blogs, are user-generated sites written in a journal format that can incorporate reader comments, graphics and hyperlinks to other sites.

Back to Top

-C-

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) A term for systems which are manufactured for sale commercially. COTS systems are in contrast to systems that are produced entirely and uniquely for one specific application used by one organization.

Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) An OASIS standard that provides an open, non-proprietary message format that can be used for all types of alerts and notifications.

Computer Address An identifier that distinguishes where to automatically send messages that you receive from other users.  This address will vary depending on what messaging program you are using.  Consult with your program vendor for more information.

Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Software systems that provide a responsive and reliable manner for tracking units and call-for-service status at police, fire, and emergency medical services centers.

Consensus A mutually acceptable agreement that takes into consideration the interests of all concerned parties. An agreement reached through consensus may not satisfy each participant’s interests equally or receive a similar level of support from all participants.

Cost Recovery Payment for costs of wireless E9-1-1; typically funds for this are collected by special E9-1-1 fees on wireless subscriber monthly bills.

Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing is gaining currency as a way of describing the potential of thousands of individuals to come together through the Web to provide solutions to problems that in the past have only been able to be addressed, if at all, by much smaller groups of professionals.

Back to Top

-D-

Data Dictionary a repository of descriptive information about data. Data dictionary information includes database elements and valid values used to describe datasets.

Data Model A structured way of viewing a set of data — the design of the data groupings and their corresponding relationships.

"Dead Zone" Areas that are without wireless communication, leaving victims unable to make a call for emergency assistance.

De Facto Standard  A standard used by the vast majority of the market, but which aren’t necessarily open or based on any de jure standards.

De Jure Standard A standard ratified by recognized international standards bodies such as the ISO, OASIS, ANSI, and IEEE.

Distracted Driving Any activity that diverts the driver of an automobile away from driving, including but not limited to adjusting the stereo, looking out the window, improperly using a wireless phone, putting on make-up and primping, eating, and fatigue or drowsiness.

Distribution Element (DE) An EDXL standard used to facilitate the routing of a properly formatted standard XML message. As a "container", it provides the information to route "payload" message sets (such as Alerts or Resource Messages), by including key routing information such as distribution type, geography, incident, and sender/recipient ID’s.

Back to Top

-E-

Electronic Health Record EHR is a longitudinal collection of all person-centric health information, collaboratively created and maintained by both the person and their team of care providers.  It is both secure and universally accessible, promoting safe and efficient self-care and provider based care.

Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL) A broad initiative to create an integrated framework for a wide range of XML-based emergency data exchange standards to support operations, logistics, planning and finance. 

Emergency Interoperability Consortium (EIC) Formed in October 2002 to address the nation's lack of consistent technical interoperability and standards for emergency and incident management. Now comprised of over 60 private entities, public agencies, and non-profit organizations, the EIC is promoting the development and adoption of standards for using Web services, Extensible Markup Language (XML), and existing relevant standards.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) A branch of medicine that is performed in the field, pre-hospital, (i.e., the streets, peoples' homes, etc.) by paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and certified first responders.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) A pre-designated facility established by an agency or jurisdiction to coordinate the overall agency or jurisdictional response and support to an emergency.

Emergency Provider Access Directory (EPAD) A registry of emergency agencies with their corresponding electronic information exchange instructions. IT is used to geographically target and route emergency messages based on the time and location of the incident, incident type and responsibility type.

Emergency Support Function (ESF) Mechanism that consolidates multiple agencies that perform similar or like functions into a single, cohesive unit to allow for the better management of emergency response functions.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) A World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) initiative that allows information and services to be encoded with meaningful structure and semantics that computers and humans can understand. XML is great for information exchange, and can easily be extended to include user-specified and industry-specified tags.

Back to Top

-F-

Facilitation Services or Core Services Common shared tools, services, and resources enabling interoperability which are offered through a collective effort of the emergency response communities.  These services can include agency locator service, identity management, credentialing and like services.

Folksonomy Folksonomy is a way of tagging content that is created by the user community itself rather than being imposed from the outside as a set standard. It makes content that is relevant to particular users more easily navigable and searchable over time.

Back to Top

-G-

Geographic Information System (GIS) An organized collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information.

Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM) GJXDM is a data reference model for the exchange of information within the justice and public safety communities.  ComCARE supports its broader use.  See http://it.ojp.gov/topic.jsp?topic_id=43.

Global Positioning System (GPS) Method of location based on reception of multiple satellite signals by a device on the ground or in airplanes. The United States government runs the GPS satellite system.

"Golden Hour" An expression used by emergency medical personnel to highlight the benefits of rapid treatment after an injury. As time elapses, chances of survival diminish and the severity of the injuries increases.

Graphical User Interface (GUI) An application program interface that takes advantage of the computer's graphics capabilities to make the application program easier to use. A true GUI includes standard formats for representing text and graphics.

Guideline A collection of system specific or procedural specific “suggestions” for best practice. They are not requirements to be met, but are strongly recommended.

Back to Top

-H-

Health Level 7 (HL7) – Health Level Seven is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) operating in the healthcare arena. HL7’s domain is standards for electronic interchange of clinical, financial, and administrative information among healthcare oriented computer systems.

Hospital Availability Exchange (HAVE) An EDXL standard that specifies an XML-formatted message that allows healthcare provider organizations to communicate specific utilization information and status of a facility (e.g. hospital, trauma center, nursing home) and its resources; including bed capacity and availability, emergency department status, available service coverage, and the status of a hospital’s facility and operations.

HIPAA The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was introduced to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets; to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery; to promote the use of medical savings accounts; to improve access to long-term care services and coverage; to simplify the administration of health insurance; and for other purposes.

Back to Top

-I-

Incident Type The types of emergency events of which an agency wishes to receive notification, same as event type.

Intelligent Message Broker (IMB) A Web service that receives incoming emergency signals, queries the EPAD for routing instructions, and routes emergency data messages to the appropriate agencies.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Diverse technologies applied to highway, transit and railroads to save lives, reduce congestion, and enhance productivity. These technologies include information processing, communications, control systems and electronics. Examples of ITS include synchronized traffic signals, electronic toll collection systems, traffic management and control centers, and electronic weigh-and-motion technologies for commercial vehicle applications.

Interest Definition A complete profile of an agency’s interest over an incident or set of incidents, associated with a specific geographic area, for a selected responsibility type and timeframe. Each agency has one or more interest definition. Each definition may be given a unique name for easy retrieval and reference.

Interoperable The ability to communicate and exchange data accurately, effectively, securely, and consistently with different technology systems, software applications, and networks in various settings, and exchange data such that the purpose and meaning of the data are preserved and unaltered.

Back to Top

-J-

Jurisdiction Area in which the agency has first responder responsibility or in which the agency may be affected by incident events. It may or may not be the political boundary of a state, county, or city. It may be either an agency’s official primary jurisdiction, or an area in which an agency holds a support role or has a very strong interest.

Back to Top

-M-

Mashup A mashup is a way of seamlessly integrating content from various online sources into a single Web site or application.

Messaging Standard A standard that specifies “how” electronic messages should be formatted or structured.

Metadata Literally, "data about data." Information about a particular data set that may describe, for example, how, when, and by whom it was received, created, accessed, and/or modified and how it is formatted.

Back to Top

-N-

National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) The National EMS Information System Initiative (NEMSIS) serves to provide technical assistance for the implementation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Uniform Pre-Hospital EMS Dataset. The goal of NEMSIS is to establish an EMS data system at the local, state, and national levels.

National Incident Management System (NIMS) NIMS integrates effective practices in emergency preparedness and response into a comprehensive national framework for incident management. The NIMS will enable responders at all levels to work together more effectively to manage domestic incidents no matter what the cause, size or complexity.

National Planning Scenarios A set of scenarios to help agencies prepare for major emergency events. The scenarios address all-hazard incidents, which include terrorism, natural disasters, and health emergencies.

Back to Top

-O-

OASIS A non-profit, international consortium that creates interoperable industry specifications based on public XML standards.

Open Architecture An architecture of which the specifications are public. This includes officially approved standards as well as privately designed architectures the specifications of which are made public by the designers.

OpenGIS OpenGIS is an adjective describing specifications and other products of Open Geospatial Consortium’s (OGC) consensus process that support transparent access to heterogeneous geodata and geoprocessing resources in a networked environment. The goal of OGC is to provide a comprehensive suite of open interface specifications that enable developers to write interoperating components that provide these capabilities.

Open Standards Open standards are publicly available specifications for achieving a specific task. By allowing anyone to use the standard, they increase compatibility between various hardware and software components since anyone with the technical know-how and the necessary equipment to implement solutions can build something that works together with those of other vendors.

Back to Top

-P-

Personal Health Record (PHR) A secure, private, list of person-centric health information, entered, maintained, and managed by that person for themselves, or for others for whom they provide care.  The PHR allows the person to view and manage their own health information independent of any provider team.

Podcast A podcast is an audio file that a user can listen to on a Web site or download for playing later on a computer or a device such as Apple Computer's iPod, other MP3 players or, increasingly, cell phones.

Policy Document detailing specific requirements or rules that must be met.

Protocols The rules of correct or appropriate behavior for a particular group of people or in a particular situation.

Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) An answering location for 9-1-1 calls originating in a given area. Primary PSAPs receive calls directly from the public, secondary PSAPs take calls transferred or relayed from a primary PSAP. There are over 6,000 PSAPs operating in the United States.

Back to Top

-R-

Really Simple Syndication RSS is a way of marketing content on a Web site so users can receive an alert every time it is updated. New content is collected by and presented in RSS readers, or aggregators, so users don't have to visit Web sites to retrieve the information.

REST Respresentational State Transfer refers to software architecture principles that capture the best ways for moving resources across networks. In the case of the Web, it means the best way for a user to move from one Web page to another via hyperlinks.

Role-Based Access Control Roles are established and given permissions to access functions and information. A user is assigned a role with its associated permissions based on the job function the user performs and his need to know.

Back to Top

-S-

Scalability This refers to the ease with which a system or component can be expanded to handle a much larger population of parties, of data, or both. 

Seamless Networks Communication networks that allow communication to and from any point. No "dead zones."

Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) Defines a framework for exchanging security information between online business partners.

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a design methodology aimed at maximizing the reuse of application-neutral services to increase IT adaptability and efficiency.

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) SOAP is a simple XML based protocol to let applications exchange information over HTTP.

Social Networking This term is borrowed from the social sciences and relates to formal structures that show how relationships develop between individuals in a network. Applied to the Web, it refers to the driving force behind sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

Standard Something established by authority, custom, or general consent as a model or example.

Back to Top

-T-

Tags Tags are one or more keywords assigned to pieces of stored information - such as text articles, pictures or audio files - so Web browsers' search engines can identify and display them.

Target Capabilities List A framework for the development of a network of capabilities that will be available, when and where needed, to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from incidents of national significance.

Telematics An emerging market of automotive communications technology that combines wireless voice and data to provide security and information services to drivers.

Terminology Standard A standard that deals with the content or vocabularies of the actual data elements, basically the “what” of the message.

Transport The physical networks over which voice and data travel.

Back to Top

-U-

Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) A Web-based, XML distributed directory that enables businesses to list themselves on the Internet and discover each other and the services provided. 

Universal Task List A catalog of approximately 1,600 tasks encompassing all levels of government and disciplines, from the national strategic to the incident level. The tasks answers the question ”What do we need to do to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from the treats represented by the National Planning Scenarios?” No single jurisdiction or agency is expected to perform every task.

User Provisioning A procedure for enabling and disabling end users to access and use system services. Provisioning involves creating for each end user an account in a directory service and populating the account with the user-specific information needed by each service.

Back to Top

-V-

Vehicular Emergency Data Set (VEDS) An XML based data standard that determines useful and critical elements needed to provide an efficient emergency response to vehicular emergency incidents.

Vodcast A video podcast that plays on computers, mobile players and cell phones.

Back to Top

-W-

Wiki A wiki is a site maintained by a community whose members share their expertise and interests by writing or editing content in a collaborative environment.

Back to Top