Emergency Communications: Interoperability

Overview

• Atascocita VFD– AVFD Communications History– Hurricane Rita 2005– Solutions after the storm– Wave-Twisted Pair solution

• Community Response Task Force (CRTF)– Background and history– Results

AVFD Communication Background

• 2005 communications status:– Housed in one location– Tower rated for under 90 MPH wind loading– 800 MHz trunking system unreliability concerns– No backup systems for dispatching over 800 MHz

911 service other than POTS– No backup system for paging firemen/EMS

personnel

AVFD and Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Rita AVFD Communications Damage

• Complete loss of contact with 911 dispatch office

• Complete loss of communication with Fire apparatus and personnel

• Unable to respond to emergency needs within community

• Command and control greatly reduced

ECOMM Support via ARES

• Local hams went to each fire district – Established comms:

• between fire districts• EOC and districts• 911 dispatch center via POTS

– Community response provided via local radio station KSBJ via ham radio

Solutions after the Storm

• Community response organization needed– CRTF formed –more to follow

• Communications plan overhaul– Need for interoperability other than 800 MHz system

• Communications equipment assessment– Developed plan for recovery – Emergency management team organized

• Matt Adelman-emergency manager• Rodney Bryant-EOC operations• John Ritter-Emergency Communications consultant

Communications plan overhaul• Established MOU’s with local ARES group• Established MOU with CRTF• Digital messaging equipment purchased

– Winlink, Laptop, TNC• Purchase of dual band ham radio• Purchase of mobile antenna’s for field operations• ARES MOU with local radio station KSBJ for

Winlink internet node• Dispatching plan over existing equipment• Desire for interoperability equipment

Communications Overhaul

• New tower purchased and installed within 8 months

• New antennas installed for EOC– 33 MHz, 150 MHz, Ham 2meter and 70cm, 450

MHz, 800 MHz– Used for EOC operations

• Installed ham repeater for 2mtr and 70 cm– ARES use

Communications Overhaul

• Purchase of P25 Motorola radios for EOC use only– 450 MHz and 150 MHz

• Interoperability with other agencies• Tested and coordinated with other agencies as

alternate dispatch for other Fire Departments and EMS

• Digital communications capability– Internet: Skype-real time video, IM, File Transfers– Winlink: Forms sent to State EOC/SOC

Digital Interoperability

• The need:– Unified Command and control– Dispatch availability anywhere– Versatile– Inexpensive– Easily installed– Easy to operate

• Internet capable—Wave 4.0

Unified Group Communications

Group Communications can mean different things to different organizations. For some it may mean carrying radio traffic across an IP network to link geographically

remote areas. To others it might mean the bridging together of different radio systems or frequencies, or the ability to facilitate multiple simultaneous talk channels on

financial trading floors.Unified Group Communications is all of that, and more.

Unified Group Communications can be defined as the convergence of disparate communications devices with IP

telephony systems and other pre-existing group communications capabilities

http://www.twistpair.com/index/unified

How it works:• WAVE is a distributed and highly scalable Voice over IP software

application that connects users together regardless of their communications device.

• Using industry standard IP networks as the unifying medium, WAVE enables a multitude of traditionally disparate communications systems such as radios, traditional analog phone systems, new IP phone systems, PCs, PDAs and industry specific proprietary devices to all interoperate in a seamlessly coherent manner.

• WAVE can support thousands of groups of simultaneous users and connect these users to any type of communications system across geographically dispersed networks. WAVE provides push-to-talk voice, alerting, text messaging, and recording capabilities in both multicast and unicast IP environments.

• Multiple Windows®-based WAVE Communicator applications support everything from PC-based dispatching to handheld PDAs for field workers

The Wave Solution

What Wave does:• Using industry standard IP networks as the unifying medium, WAVE

enables a multitude of traditionally disparate communications systems such as radios, traditional analog phone systems, new IP phone systems, PCs, PDAs and industry specific proprietary devices to all interoperate in a seamlessly coherent manner.

• WAVE can support thousands of groups of simultaneous users and connect these users to any type of communications system across geographically dispersed networks. WAVE provides push-to-talk voice, alerting, text messaging, and recording capabilities in both multicast and unicast IP environments.

• Multiple Windows®-based WAVE Communicator applications support everything from PC-based dispatching to handheld PDAs for field workers.

WAVE is based on open software standards to provide flexibility and a low total cost of ownership to users. Customers use their existing

devices and infrastructure to achieve interoperability and don’t need to replace their radios or other communications tools.

Wave Advantages:• No New Hardware Required• As a standards-based software application, WAVE can be deployed on any modern

Windows-based PC or server environment and does not require new, dedicated or proprietary hardware to operate to its full capacity.

• This is a unique industry capability and sets WAVE apart from other vendor solutions:

• Adding WAVE to your network does not require the mandatory purchase of proprietary server hardware

• Adding WAVE to your network does not require the purchase of proprietary hardware such as routers

• Because WAVE is a pure software application, there are no hardware limits on the number of voice groups that can be mixed

• WAVE transcoding is done in software, allowing it to offer 10 times the number of industry-standard CODECs than other proprietary hardware solutions.

• The net result is that WAVE is a more scalable, deployable, reliable and significantly more cost-effective than solutions that require vendor-mandated proprietary hardware

Who uses Wave?• Today, WAVE is deployed in many of the world’s most

demanding communications and interoperability environments, including multiple deployments with:

• Armed forces and agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense

• Coalition military organizations • Civil government agencies • Major financial institutions and brokerage houses • Airport operators and airlines • Public safety agencies and organizations • Power generation and distribution companies

Wave Disadvantages:

• Single point of failure—LAN or Internet– Loss of connectivity between dispatching and

radio equipment– Can be made redundant via LAN microwave links

between facilities/radio equipment• Redundant servers can take over if one fails

• Limited by number of gateway’s

AVFD Current Status:• Fully redundant radio communications• MOU with CRTF and ARES• Digital Communications established• Secondary communications site at Station #3• Still seeking digital interoperability using IT• Two tower sites working on a third• Currently signed with Texas interoperability plan• Seeking signature on county communications

plan• Repeater pair located for 150 MHz system

Community Response Coordination

• Unified operational control of:– Faith based organizations– For profit organizations– Community volunteer agencies (CERT)

• Logistical arm of the EOC– Incident command based in the NRP

• Use of NIMS • Qualified individuals to operate CRTF EOC

Community Response Task Force

(CRTF)

Today’s Presentation: National Deployment of the

CRTF• The CRTF model• Genesis of the CRTF concept- the

initiative• What we are doing currently-

successes and challenges• A national model replicated

anywhere• Memorandum of Understanding for

SCA and agencies

The CRTF model

• Command and control team• An emergency response management cell

that can expand or contract as needed• Trained to federal standards• Coordinates and mobilizes FBO and other

community assets as part of the government emergency response system- currently a significant resource not being accessed and a potential major contribution to the nation’s emergency response capability

Definition of Terms

• CRTF – Community Response Task Force

• EOC- Local Emergency Operations Centers

• FBO- Faith Based Organization• FPO- For Profit Organization• CVO – Community Volunteer

Organization• IC- Incident Command• CIC- Community Incident Command

Background

Recent hurricane after action reviews have demonstrated:

• The faith-based community played a major role in disaster relief and post-incident care

• The faith-based community provided millions of dollars and thousands of volunteers for the care of millions

• Due to a lack of centralized management, ad hoc responses produced confusion and inefficiency

• Federal government hesitant to work with faith based community due to management confusion and lack of organization and protocol

Background cont.

• Incident management is a system used for commanding, controlling and coordinating the efforts of individual agencies working towards disaster response and providing post incident care.

• It is critical that the nation’s major faith based aid organizations develop incident management teams using the (NIMS) National Incident Management System established by the federal government. This system of management is highly efficient in assessing and tracking many streams of logistical support as well as coordinating individual organizational response.

Background cont.

• Following Hurricane Rita, CCF leadership brought the CRTF concept to the emergency response community

• CCF comprised of largely former and current police and military officers- with significant disaster response experience

• The EOC community fully embraced concept and CRTF was formed

Background cont.

• CRTF would act as catalyst and force multiplier, and to provide specialized Incident Command capability

• Over two dozen partnerships formed and growing

• CRTF formally organized; Fire Marshall chairs

• Gaps in capability being filled via significant private community resources

• Significant improvement in incident command management and emergency response

Harris County Probation OfficeMoving ForwardCRMJ Mentor’s AssociationLiving Word ChurchSpirit of Life ChurchWoodridge Baptist ChurchNorthpark Christian ChurchChrist the King Lutheran Humble UMCKingwood UMCSt. Martha Catholic ChurchSt. Mary Catholic ChurchCatholic Charities H.A.A.MSomebody Cares AmericaChristian World Embassy

Feed the ChildrenHarris County Office of Emergency managementHouston Police DepartmentAtascocita Volunteer Fire DepartmentHumble Fire and Police DepartmentPorter Volunteer Fire DepartmentHuffman Volunteer Fire DepartmentEasttex Volunteer Fire DepartmentHumble ISDMontgomery County EOCCAP Civil Air PatrolSam’s ClubOffice DepotCVSARES Amateur Radio Emergency ServicesBoy Scouts of America

CommunityPartners

The CCF CIC Team• Rod Bryant – CRTF Disaster Manager

o Senior pastor of Calvary Christian Fellowship, Kingwood, TXo Former Houston Police Officer; Major, US Army; Emergency

Management Coordinator Atascocita, Texas• Gary Thomas- Incident Commander

o CCF Associate pastor; Lt Colonel, USAFR; Communications Officero Combat veteran, Iraq and Afghanistan, 2005

• John Ritter- Communication Officero CCF Associate pastor; Certified broadcast engineero 2dLt USAFR, Chaplain Candidate; Volunteer Fireman

• Terry Bratton- Safety/Security Officero CCF Associate pastor; Houston Police Officer for 30 yearso Officer Safety and Survival instructor for over 25 years

• Robert Fisher- Operations Chiefo CCF Board member; chemical engineero Operations Manager for BASF Chemicals, Pasadena, TX

• Bruce Todd- Finance and Admin Chiefo CCF Board member; Texas Certified Public Accountant o Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP

The CCF CIC Team (Cont)• Robert Ricther – Planning Chief

- Former Director of Planning for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo • United States Air force veteran• Mark Brocato – Logistics Chief

- CCF Associate Pastor - Extensive Training & Experience in Advanced Construction Technologies, Structural Systems, & Project Process & Procedures

Current Goals of the Humble-Atascocita CRTF

• Coordinate community assets • Preplan community response to incidents• Establish preset shelters and train

volunteers from FBO, CVO and FPO.• Preposition non-perishable food in

community.• Integrate Amateur Radio Emergency

Services within CRTF for redundant communication and non-emergency traffic.

• To be self sustained for 4-7 days post-incident

• Conduct one EOC drill by June 2006.

Combined Community Effort

•County E.O.C. / Emergency Services

•Faith based Organizations•Community Volunteer Organizations

•Local businesses

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