SAFECOM Nationwide Survey Sections

The 2023 SAFECOM Nationwide Survey is organized into eight topic areas, which you will see indexed on the side of your screen as you work your way through the survey. We encourage you to review the topic descriptions to help prepare for completing the survey. The topic area descriptions provide a general overview of that section and may help you determine if engaging additional colleagues in your organization would be helpful in completing the survey. Remember only one response per organization is necessary so collaboration is encouraged.

If taking the survey using a customized link, you can also share the link with colleagues to work on the same survey response from any device. However, only one person can work on the survey at a time. To request a shareable customized survey link for your organization, please contact the SNS Team at sns@cisa.dhs.gov.

If using the public survey link, the survey cannot be shared with colleagues and must be completed on the device on which the survey was started.

Descriptions of the topic areas are below.

Governance

The Governance section includes questions on the following topics:

• Decision-making groups
• Emergency communications agreements
• Funding of emergency communications capabilities, networks, and systems
• Funding sources for emergency communications
• Sharing of emergency communications costs and resources
• Strategic planning for emergency communications 

Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines

The Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines (SOP/SOG) section includes questions on the following topics: 

• Existence and maintenance of SOPs/SOGs 
• Formality of SOPs/SOGs
• Sources that influenced the development of SOPs/SOGs
• Topics included in SOPs/SOGs
• Sufficiency of SOPs/SOGs for operability, interoperability, and continuity

Technology

The Technology section includes questions on the following topics:

• Ownership of interoperability solutions
• Information exchange
• Factors that impact the ability to communicate
• Infrastructure, systems, equipment, and facilities
• Ability of communications systems to meet mission requirements

Security

The Security section includes questions on the following topics:

• Cybersecurity measures
• Cyber incident notifications
• Impact of cyber attacks
• Ability to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities
• Physical security of facilities and communications infrastructure

Training

The Training section includes questions on the following topics:

• Extent of emergency communications training
• Training evaluations
• Training topics
• External participation in training
• Training adequacy to achieve operability, interoperability, and continuity
• Capabilities and roles exercised
• Communications as an exercise objective
• Barriers to participating in exercises
• Participation in types of exercises
• Partner organizations participation in exercises

Usage

The Usage section includes questions on the following topics:

• Use and testing of emergency communications capabilities
• Priority Telecommunications Services usage
• Emergency communications resource capacity
• Usage and deployment of emergency communications capabilities
• End user proficiency with emergency communications capabilities

Equipment

The Equipment section includes questions on the following topics:

• Communications technology, equipment, and capabilities
• Characteristics of various communications systems
• Use of public alerts, warnings, and notifications systems

Last Questions

The Last Questions section includes questions on the following topics:

• COVID-19 pandemic impacts
• Strengthening of emergency communications capabilities