National Communications System NCS ESF

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National Communications System (NCS)ESF 2
Training ConferenceALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATIONS
SOLUTIONS
Michael R. Anderson PART-15.ORG chairman_at_part-15.o
rg 630-466-9090 June 25, 2007
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Alternative Communications
Why Me?

• PART-15.ORG
• Chairman, PART-15.ORG
• Katrina Support
• FCC
• PDQLink
• CIO/CTO
• Personal
• Old and Experienced

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Alternative Communications

• PART-15.ORG
• Executive Summary
• The training to be provided is based on everyday
  use of overlooked communications assets and
  technologies, e.g., unlicensed spectrum and
  4.9GHz to provide mobile voice, video, and data
  in support of public safety
• The Need
• Traditional forms of communications remain
  plagued with operability and interoperability
  issues. This training provides a successful,
  proven alternative to standard emergency
  communications relief efforts by using
  off-the-shelf technologies. Training is vendor
  and technology neutral providing unbiased, field
  experienced opinions and recommendations by using
  a Lessons-Learned teaching approach. The unique
  capabilities of alternative communications
  provide for solutions to out-dated plans,
  policies and procedures. These alternative
  communications resources are limited only by the
  imagination of the responder

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Alternative Communications

• Our Objective Today
• Broaden Our Minds
• Why Alternative Communications
• Another Tool in the box
• Fixed and Mobile
• Hand-Held, Reliable and Secure
• Voice, Video, and Data
• Immediately Deployable

Federal, State, Local and Tribal emergency
responders, can adopt fast, low-cost and simple
off-the-shelf unlicensed wireless networks and
devices as a force-multiplying technology,
delivering fast, secure access to central
databases, photos, fingerprints, GIS, VoIP and
live video.
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Alternative Communications

• Non-Attribution Disclaimer
• What works for them, may not work for you
• Distances Vary
• Throughput Varies
• Quality of Service Varies
• Equipment Variations
• Same Are Better Than Others
• RF Environment
• Over 2.5 million customers of WISP services would
  disagree with your concerns of Interference
• Must move past the Marketing Hype to be
  Successful

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Alternative Communications

• Pringle Can (Past)
• Designed for Indoor Use
• Short Range
• Limited Security (WEP)
• 2-5 Connections Work Well
• Professional (Present)
• Designed for Outdoor Use
• Short and Long Range (100 miles)
• AES/DES and Beyond
• 1,000 Connections Work Well

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Alternative Communications

• Lessons Learned
• Katrina/Rita
• Nothing Else Available
• Imminent Need
• Rapid Deployment
• Long Range, Interoperable Voice, Video and Data

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Alternative Communications

• Spectrum Availability
• Licensed
• STAs (Special Temporary Authority)
• FCC Immediate Response
• Special Circumstances
• A phone call will do
• License Exempt
• No FCC Approval Required
• Inexpensive
• Readily Available
• Rapid Deployment
• Voice, Video and Data

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Alternative Communications

• Long Distance
• Backhaul
• Up to 100 Mbps at 100 Miles (Sometimes)
• All IP Traffic (Can you say interoperability?)
• Local Area
• Voice
• 1,000 VoIP Call per hour (in and out)
• Video
• Unmanned Monitoring
• Data
• Database
• Personnel
• Equipment

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Alternative Communications

• Misunderstandings about Wireless
• Insecure
• Not Anymore
• Interference
• Not Anymore
• Reliability
• Over 2.5 million customers of WISP services would
  disagree with your concerns

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Alternative Communications

• Pro
• Immediately Deployable
• Inexpensive
• Con
• Interference

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Intra/Inter Communications Voice, Video, Data
• Federal - State, and State - Local
• EOC to EOC (Multiple Command Centers Over a Large
  Area)
• Search and Rescue
• Medical Teams
• Shelter to Shelter
• Staging Point to Staging Point
• Entry Point to Entry Point
• Stay Off the Air
• IP Traffic Frees Up Vital Radio Time
• Normal Emergency Communication Mode

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Federal - State
• Everyday its done this way now
• Personnel and Equipment Asset Management
• Coordination and Information Sharing
• Continual and immediate updates

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• EOC to EOC (Multiple EOCs Over a Large Area)
• EOC to Staging Areas
• EOC to Entry Points
• EOC to Medical
• EOC to Fire
• EOC to Police
• EOC to Shelters
• EOC to Logistics

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Search and Rescue
• House by House Search Completion Data
• PDAs Provide Immediate Database (Excel) Updates
  to EOC
• Most PDAs Have Built-in Cameras
• PDAs Cameras Provide Immediate Uploading of
  Photos to EOCs for Archiving and Overall Damage
  Assessment

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Medical Teams
• Immediate Data and Photo Updates to Emergency
  Room Centers (Fixed or Mobile)
• Laptop and PDAs Provide Direct Field Responder to
  Doctor Communications
• Diagnosis
• Patient Data
• Treatment
• Patient Injury Photos

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Shelter to Shelter
• Overflow Needs
• Asset Management
• Too Much in One Location and Not Enough in
  Another
• Registration Management
• Immediate Location of Personnel and Assets
• Victim Family Communications
• Relieves normal communications congestions

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Staging Points
• Database Management
• Assets
• Deployment Orders
• Provides a more clear understanding over voice
  tasking

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Alternative Communications

• The Need
• Entry Points
• Photo Verification
• Immediate Access Control Updates

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Alternative Communications
Tent City
Up to 5 miles
Point-to-Multi Point
2.4/5.3 GHz
Entry Check Point
Up to 100 Miles
EOC
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Alternative Communications
Point-to-Point Backhaul
Up to 100 Miles
Remote EOC

• EOC Emergency Operations Center
• Direct connection to EOC
• Provides Voice, Video and Data
• Can redistribute to areas immediately surrounding
  EOC
• Can repeat to Multiple locations anywhere inside
  the containment area

Any Live Network Outside Effected Area e.g.
State OEM
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Alternative Communications
Field Units
Point-to-Multi Point
Fire
Cops
2.4/5.3 GHz
5 miles
Medical
Up to 100 Miles

• EOC Emergency Operations Center
• Direct connection to Field Units
• Meds, FEMA, ARC, Cops, Etc
• RCC Remote Command Center
• Police
• Fire
• Medical

RCC
EOC
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Alternative Communications

• Voice
• Up to 1,000 VoIP Calls per Hour
• Soft-Phone
• Skype
• SIP Phone
• Desktop
• Hand-Held
• Dual Port ATA
• Voice and FAX

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Alternative Communications

• Video
• Remote IP Camera
• Entry Points
• Damage Assessment
• Personnel Alternative

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Alternative Communications

• Data
• Database Management
• Communications
• Email, Instant Messaging
• Readily Available Off-the-Shelf Technology
• Laptops with built-in Wi-Fi
• PDAs
• Web-Cams

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Alternative Communications

• PDAs Off the Shelf Technology IS Available and
  Reliable
• Responders and staff can carry PDAs that offer
  Data, VoIP, Video, Cell Phone, and normal
  Office software, such as Databases, Word
  Documents, and Spreadsheets
• Duty Rosters and Schedules, Operational
  Instructions (OIs), Technical Manuals, Personnel
  Rosters

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Alternative Communications
What we have here, is a failure to communicate

• In disasters, communication difficulties are
  often hard to separate from coordination
  difficulties, and the greatest coordination
  difficulties are inter-organizational.
• Therefore, many of the communications problems
  are those related to information sharing.
• Frequently, the means for communication exists,
  but mostly overlooked or unfamiliar and therefore
  reluctant to communicate with others using
  alternative methods.
• Everyone Uses IP Traffic In Everyday Use

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Alternative Communications
What we have here, is a failure to communicate

• Inter-organizational communication is fostered by
  those factors which promote trust in other
  organizations and familiarity with how they
  function.
• These include informal contacts, joint planning
  and training, preplanned agreements for the
  division of disaster responsibilities, and the
  use of similar terminology, procedures, and
  performance criteria. Inter-organizational radio
  networks, common mapping systems, and computer
  networks also contribute to effective
  communications.

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Alternative Communications
Working with WISPs

• PRINCIPLE
• Those who work together well on a daily basis
  tend to work together well in disasters
• The Importance of Pre-Incident" Communications
• Development of Trust
• Resolution of Political, Personal, and
  Jurisdictional Disputes
• Knowledge of How Each Other Functions
• Knowledge About Routine Functions
• Knowledge About Preplanned Disaster Functions
• Standardization
• Joint Planning and Training
• Importance of Informal Contacts/MOUs

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Alternative Communications
Working with WISPs

• There are advantages to these overlooked assets
  that are applicable to inter-organizational
  disaster communications. One of the values of a
  prearranged regional or state-wide MOU" is that
  it can even facilitate rapid response. Not only
  does a MOU" allow resources to report their
  presence to those coordinating incident
  operations, but it can also be used to obtain
  essential initial information, such as
• Are they, in fact, needed? (If not, they can be
  instructed to abort any planned response.)
• Where are they to report?
• How do they get to the check-in area?
• Are there any hazards that might be encountered
  en route?
• Are they to switch to another radio frequency for
  further communication?

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Alternative Communications

• PLANNING CHECKPOINTS
• Does your disaster training program familiarize
  the members of various organizations with
  Alternative Communications?
• Do the organizations in your area have joint
  training sessions that deal with the common
  aspects of using Alternative Communications
  disaster response?
• Have the emergency organizations in your area
  adopted standard terminology and procedures?
• Has your area established inter-agency
  Alternative communications networks?
• Are your agencies' radio systems protected
  against disruption from common disaster agents?
  Are back-up to back-up precautions provided for
  the communications equipment of local commercial
  WISPs?

Suggestions for EOCs
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Alternative Communications
Communications Facts for EOCs

• FACT
• All EOCs have a Communications
  Representative on their staff as part of their
  organizational chart
• FACT
• More than one private Communications company
  is operating in the Disaster Area
• FACT
• Civilian representatives from government
  vendors will be on-hand to help
• FACT
• All of these communications industry
  representatives can not possibly fit nor be
  wanted in the EOC

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Alternative Communications
Communications Facts for EOCs

• FACT All EOCs have a Communications
  Representative on their staff as part of their
  organizational chart.
• Standard operating procedures, put a government
  communications representative to manage all
  communications factors for the OEM
• Should be in charge of ALL communications needs
• Existing Normal Communications Modes
• Additional
• Local Amateur Radio Operators
• Local Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs)

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Alternative Communications
Communications Facts for EOCs

• FACT More than one Private Communications
  Company is Operating in the Disaster Area.
• Example Landline, Cellular, Paging, Broadcast,
  WISPs, Satellite, Cable, etc.
• Dual Interests Primary Help with Emergency
  Response, Secondary Get Company Assets
  Operational
• NOTE Most of the time, the communications needs
  of the responding agencies can be solved by
  fostering the interests of private communications
  company. DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ALL ARE IMPORTANT

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Alternative Communications
Communications Facts for EOCs

• FACT Civilian Representatives from Government
  Vendors will be on-hand to help.
• e.g. If the agency is using Motorola radios,
  Motorola representatives will be on-hand to
  fulfill any needs that may arise.
• MA / COM
• CISCO
• Etc.
• Suggestion They are all needed but not enough
  room for everyone.

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Alternative Communications
Communications Facts for EOCs

• FACT All of these communications industry
  representatives can not possibly fit nor be
  wanted in the EOC.
• Simply not enough room in the EOC
• Many EOCs are a room of approx 15 x 25 feet
  (board room style)
• Adds to background chatter
• Too many people talking at one time
• Suggestion Separate All Non-Governmental
  Communications Folks Into a Collocated Area

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Alternative Communications

• OEM Communications
• Some Cool And Cost Saving Things You Could Be
  Doing

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Alternative Communications

• Wireless Remote PBX System
• Redline Communications
• AN-30e
• Simultaneous IP and TDM Traffic
• Up to 8 T1/E1 Full and Fractional (nx64) TDM
  Ports
• DFS and ATPC

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Alternative Communications

• Statewide Fixed Landline PBX System
• State Level Asterisk Server
• Be Your Own VoIP Provider (Vonage, Packet8, etc.)
• Buy or Build Your Own (FREE) - Asterisks Server
• Regular Ole Computer
• PSTN Lines (Normal Phone Lines)
• Distribution System Broadband (Mostly already
  in place)
• Why
• COST, COST, COST One Time Cost v. Recurring
  Telco Charges
• Schools Have Been Doing It For Years

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Alternative Communications

•           
• Enables wireless broadband network
• with 1xEV-DO PC card or phone
• Supports high rates up to 2.4 Mbps
• (typical download speed of 400-700 kpbs)
• Four Ethernet ports for wired connection
• 802.11b g for wireless connection
• Advanced firewall and security control
• Easy configuration and set-up
• Smooth migration to future 1xEV-DO releases
• Current Price 229

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Alternative Communications
Hottest New Technology
Wireless Extension Cords???
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Alternative Communications
Hottest New Technology

• iPhone
• Phone
• WiFi
• Browser (Google Maps Included)
• Email
• Text Messaging

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Alternative Communications
Talk to Your Local WISPEvery state has over a
dozen

• They Already Know
• What the equipment can and can not do
• The RF environment situation
• They arent trying to sell you something
• All reports agree
• Elevate the IT sections in your OEM
  Communications Divisions
• Add Alternative Communications Solutions
• Armature Radio Operators are there and extremely
  useful
• Limited in capabilities

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Alternative Communications
WISP Industry

• Just Like Everything Else In Life
• Most are Very Good At What They Do
• Some are Not So Good
• Industry Standards
• PART-15.ORG - Central, Single Point of Contact
• Provides a faster response
• - No land lines needed
• Flooding has no effect
• WISP Volunteers - OEMs
• Loss of Power has little effect
• Most systems are 12 volt (Car Batteries and small
  Solar panels)

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Alternative Communications

• Communications Stake-Holders are Emergency
  Responders
• All Reports and Analysis reveal Comm Folks
  (civilian and government) are 1st Responders
• More Information
• chairman_at_part-15.org
• www.part-15.org

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Alternative Communications
Additional Resources

• Emergency Response Guide to Alternative
  Communications
• One Day Seminar
• Usually at State or County Level
• Train the Trainer
• Checklist Inclusion
• Emergency Communications Discussion Forum
• www.oescom.com/forum
• Federal
• State
• Local
• Tribal
• Vendor
• Service Providers

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Alternative Communications
What Can PART-15.ORG Do For You?

• Single POC
• Maintains a database of WISPs
• Service Areas
• Equipment On-hand
• Level of Expertise
• Maintains a database of WISPs
• Service Areas
• Equipment On-hand
• Vendor and Technology Neutral
• Better for us to call the vendor for your needs
• Harder for vendor to sell us something that will
  not fill the need
• Consulting
• Plans, policies and procedures
• Equipment Selection

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Alternative Communications

• Photo Op
• Tells the story

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Alternative Communications
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Alternative Communications