CISA at IWCE 2019: Day Three
Author: Ken Bradley, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Office of External Affairs
International Wireless Communications Expo
The International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) is the leading event for communications technology, bringing together over 7,000 industry and public safety professionals. Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is co-located with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) in the Exhibit Hall at Booth #715, as well as presenting alongside its public safety partners in one sessions.
Application Interoperability- The Next Holy Grail
This session opened up with the just released CISA and SAFECOM “An Extraordinary Day” video, which tells the story of successful response to three fire incidents on a single day in Fairfax County, VA. The video includes how the National Capital Region (NCR), specifically Fairfax County Fire, coordinated with surrounding jurisdictions via computer aided dispatch (CAD) or “CAD to CAD.” The NCR has established governance to ensure data interoperability with their CAD systems, a major contributor to success that day.
Panelists addressed the need for emergency communications governance and why jurisdictions and regions should pursue improved governance for emergency communications interoperability prior to the next catastrophic event. The Air Florida Flight 90 crash into the Potomac in 1982 was provided as the catalyst event for the NCR.
Panelists agreed, as technologies become increasingly complex and interconnected, so do requirements for building robust and inclusive public safety governance to create solutions on how best to support complex information and data exchange. Bringing key players to the table is a first step to establishing necessary processes and plans, such as mutual aid agreements, across communities prior to the incident.
As heard in other sessions throughout the week, the panel continued to support the applicability of the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum to not only voice, but data interoperability as well.
For more information on IWCE please visit www.iwceexpo.com.