Federal Communications Commission Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council

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Federal Communications CommissionCommunications
Security, Reliability and Interoperability
Council

• Washington DC
• December 2009

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What is the Utah Communications Agency
Network--UCAN

• Quasi State Agency
• Self Governedby the Users
• Chartered/Established by the Legislature
• Service DrivenUsers pay for what they use
• We support Police, Fire, EMS, Corrections,
  Transportation, Public Works, Natural Resources,
  Hospitals and Ambulances
• We have agreements with Cities who do not
  participate
• Cover 12 of the 29 Utah Counties
• Looking at expansion into and additional five
  this year
• Statewide in next 3-5 years

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How did we get here? What were the
challenges?What have we learned? Was it worth it?
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We identified the common pain which brought the
stakeholders together we need to communicate
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We identified a person of staturea Governorwho
support and endorse the project..at the highest
political level
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Secure a committed leaderwho will broker the
project and move it along.Someone has to lead
the effort
Realizesometimes it is Going to be tough
sledding!! Politics, Politics, Politics
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Develop a formal Charter that Includes --Board
of Directors --Governance Structure --Defined
levels of Participation --Funding Levels --User
input and feedback --The ability to make a
deal --Recognizes the users contributions
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Pick representatives who can make and support
decisions organizationally, politically and
financially
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Meet openly, encourage participation, recognize
your partners contributions
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Unify the groupagree on a common vision, have
clearly defined goals, purpose, meet the
schedule, make the suppliers your partner
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Every project has a drop dead date at some
point performance is expected, and results are
needed. OUR CASE 2002 OLYMPICS
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Focus on Predictable Management w/user
input -Financing -Budget -Expansion -Levels of
Service -Staffing -Service Contracts
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Establish predictable maintenance to guarantee
long term success and service delivery.
Establish a replacement fund.
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Remember Who you Serve The Users. They are the
core reason you are doing this
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Was it a Success??

• Agencies projected 40 Actual 125
• Calls for service 150,000 every 24 hours
• Rates consistent for five years
• Expansion of our initial coverage area by 40
• Users projected 6500 Actual 17,250
• Projected growth from Regional to Statewide
• Customers are still looking for new service
• Groundwork in place for future endeavors

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Why is this happening?

• Economics of technology requires agencies to work
  together
• The change out of technology has accelerated
  rapidly over the last 10 years
• Emergencies require multiple agencies to respond,
  those agencies have to communicate
• I may not be able to own it all but I can own a
  piece of something
• It will be the latest technology
• Grants are requiring demonstrated
  interoperability and cooperation in order to get
  the funding
• Multi agency responses requires defined
  interoperability between services

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What is the future?

• Difficult to know where all this technology is
  heading
• Future market offerings may change this
  approach
• Fact Governance and Partnerships are in place
• Fact Interoperability is being practiced,
  Channels are being shared, spectrum is being
  shared
• Fact The next system implementation will be
  easier
• Fact People now realize that we can share a
  common vision, we can implement together, its
  cheaper to own a piece of something rather than
  nothing
• Fact User rates are unpopular, but self
  government is not

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The Payoff

• It will be worth it
• in times of emergencies, the public looks to
  government, particularly their Public Safety
  Officials, to act swiftly and correctly to do the
  things which must be done to save lives, help the
  injured, and restore order. Most disasters occur
  without warning, but people expect a rapid and
  flawless response One of the KEY components
  to that response is a wireless communications
  system.

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Thank you..Questions??