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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SAFECOM is managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate's Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC). Its mission is to improve public safety response through more effective and efficient interoperable wireless communications - allowing public safety agencies to talk across disciplines and jurisdictions via radio communications systems, exchanging voice and/or data with one another on demand, in real time, when needed as authorized.

National Emergency Number Association (NENA) NENA's mission is to foster the technological advancement, availability, and implementation of a universal emergency telephone number system. In carrying out its mission, NENA promotes research, planning, training and education. The protection of human life, the preservation of property and the maintenance of general community security are among NENA's objectives.

Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry dedicated to expanding the wireless frontier.

FCC Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC)
NRIC provides recommendations to the FCC and to the communications industry that, if implemented, shall under all reasonably foreseeable circumstances assure optimal reliability and interoperability of wireless, wireline, satellite, cable, and public data networks.

The following resolutions were recently approved by COMCARE'S Board of Directors:

Public Safety Spectrum
COMCARE supports and encourages Congress to adopt legislation to establish a firm date in the near future for the end of the digital television transition, and thus make the specified allocated spectrum available for public safety use.

E911 Measurement COMCARE resolved that the NRIC proposal to the FCC regarding E-911 compliance testing at the state level be approved.

Phase II E9-1-1 COMCARE resolved that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other Federal, State, and local governments should make the funding and deployment of Phase II E9-1-1 a priority; and that the FCC should enforce the current deadlines for Phase II E9-1-1 deployment; it should not grant blanket waivers; and it should examine any waiver requests on a case by case, provider-specific basis.

The transport component represents the physical networks over which voice and data travel. These networks can be private public safety radio systems and telephone for voice or reliable and secure broadband data connections using Internet Protocol (IP) for data. This can be the public Internet; that has the advantage of being available to almost any agency immediately, and for very low cost. However, many localities and states have developed their own private IP networks that have the advantage of providing better performance. In addition, transport technology manages the end-to-end delivery of messages and determines how data are transferred between network devices. It manages user sessions and dialogues and controls the establishment and termination of logic links between users.

The E-Safety vision advocates the deployment of integrated, interoperable, and interconnected wireline and wireless systems. The goal is to improve response to any kind of emergency every day.

THE NEED

The emergency communications systems in many parts of the country are antiquated, making the jobs of our heroic emergency responders much more difficult. In general, they are voice centric. They usually do not utilize modern communications or information management tools which are common in industry. Every day in large and small cities around the nation, emergency calls are being dropped, 9-1-1 operators are being overwhelmed with multiple calls, and responses delayed for lack of information. In mass emergencies, wireless and wireline communications systems are gridlocked. There is very little ability to share data among multiple emergency response and public health agencies, or to communicate securely across jurisdictional and professional lines in an emergency or in anticipation of an emergency.

COMCARE’S APPROACH

Over the last few years, COMCARE and its members have formulated a plan to significantly enhance emergency communications. This plan calls for the following actions:

Increase the capacity and reliability of America's communications networks.

This action is needed to ensure that the bandwidth, fixed and wireless, is deployed to handle call and data volume in times of emergency.

Deploy modern end-to-end emergency communications systems.

All emergency response agencies need to be tied together and empowered with broadband connections and basic modern information technology. High speed networks should connect responders to a national emergency electronic routing directory, data sharing systems, visualization, and other applications handling real time emergency information among multiple agencies.

Deploy Enhanced 9-1-1; wireline, wireless and PBX; deploy telematics

Knowing location is critical to emergency response. The most effective and efficient methods of Enhanced 9-1-1 deployment must be used, including overall state planning and organization. The deployment of telematics safety systems in cars should be strongly encouraged.

Support state planning and deployment of integrated systems in model states

Leading states must be prepared to bring together all stakeholders, plan sophisticated, integrated emergency and transportation communications and information systems, and then deploy them. These new information technologies hold great promise in helping to bridge the gap between urban and rural response capabilities.

Make a commitment to research, develop and deploy new safety applications and devices

Major public and private efforts should be encouraged to develop critical civil defense and emergency applications which can use the basic E-Safety platform. This requires a significant university-based, emergency response research capability; rapid, industry-based open standards development efforts; and major public and private investments in new safety applications and devices.

FROM VISION TO REALITY

COMCARE continues to work with DHS, the FCC, the National Emergency Numbering Association (NENA), the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) (see sidebar) and the telematics service providers to ensure future advances are encouraged and deployed.

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