Extended! Complete the SNS by September 29
The following terms are defined in the SAFECOM Nationwide Survey. The definitions are intended to provide clarity on specific terminology used throughout the survey. Definitions are also included throughout the survey at the bottom of each page.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) | The current Federal Standard for encryption as promulgated by the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST). AES is a built-in feature of P25 standards compliant LMR equipment and is considered the de facto standard. |
| Agreements | Formal mechanisms to govern interagency coordination and the use of interoperable emergency communications solutions. |
| Auxiliary Communications (AUXCOMM) | Backup emergency radio communications provided by volunteers who support public safety and emergency response professionals and their agencies. |
| Basic 911 | Allows callers to reach the universal emergency telephone number; relies on communications between caller and call taker to identify the telephone and location from which the individual is calling. |
| Capacity | Upper bound on the rate at which information can be reliably transmitted over a communications channel. |
| Capital Investments | Equipment and other one-time costs. |
| Communications Infrastructure | Fixed structures and deployable platforms that shelter communications equipment, including tower and repeater sites, data centers, network hubs, and console systems. |
| Continuity | Ability to provide and maintain acceptable levels of communications during disruptions in operations. |
| Continuity of Communications | The ability of emergency response agencies to maintain communications capabilities when primary infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. |
| Costs | Sharing the responsibility to pay, allocate budgeted funds, or contribute fiscal support for acquisition, operations, and maintenance expenses associated with emergency communications capabilities. |
| Data Encryption Standard (DES) | A deprecated encryption algorithm that was originally developed in 1971 and accepted as the approved Federal Encryption Standard in 1976. NIST withdrew its approval of DES in 2005. |
| Day-to-Day Situations | Situations within the general normal structure for an organization, including routine operations. |
| Decision-Making Groups | A group or governing body with a published agreement that designates its authority, mission, and responsibilities. |
| Emergency Communications | The means and methods for exchanging communications and information necessary for successful incident management. |
| Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) | A managed internet protocol (IP) network that is used for emergency services communications, and which can be shared by public safety agencies. |
| End User | Individuals receiving or transmitting information. |
| Enhanced 911 (E911) | Allows automatic number and location indications of caller delivered to call taker; enables call taker to send help even when caller is unable to communicate. |
| Facilities | Structures and premises staffed on a day-to-day or around-the-clock basis, including Emergency Communications Centers/Public Safety Answering Points, police, fire, and emergency medical stations, and emergency operations centers. |
| Formal Training | Training that includes a lesson plan, which is inclusive of educational materials and an assessment of student performance, change or behavior; may be in a classroom or on-the-job. |
| High Frequency (HF) Radio | Radio service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate between 5,950 kHz and 26,100 kHz. |
| Informal Training | Training with no lesson plans or assessments of student performance; may be on-the-job training or educational materials. |
| Insufficient Route Diversity | A single point of failure or dependence on a single provider causing diminished ability to communicate (e.g., backhaul servers buried cable and causes outage). |
| Insufficient System/Equipment Redundancy | Inability of additional or duplicate communications assets to share the load or provide backup to the primary asset. |
| International/Cross-Border Entities | Foreign organizations (e.g., Canadian or Mexican organizations). |
| Interoperability | Ability of emergency response providers and relevant government officials to communicate across jurisdictions, disciplines, and levels of government as needed and as authorized. |
| Intervention | The system requires assistance beyond first responder operating procedures (e.g., must get patch through dispatcher/telecommunicator, must be authorized by a third party). |
| Link Layer Authentication | P25 standard that offers additional protection against unauthorized system access. The link layer authentication standard defines a challenge and response protocol, incorporating a 129-bit AES authentication key, that allows the radio system infrastructure and/or subscriber radio to authenticate itself before service is granted. |
| Multikey Subscriber Device | LMR mobile and portable subscriber radios that support more than a single encryption key. Multi-key devices are necessary for OTAR operations. |
| Network Decommissioning | The process of removing systems and equipment from active service. |
| Next Generation 911 (NG911) | NG911 is an internet protocol (IP)-based 911 system that will replace the existing analog 911 infrastructure. NG911 allows 911 callers, through mobile and digital devices, to communicate with 911 call centers, also known as Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). This includes the ability to share richer data such as videos, images, and texts. It also enhances the ability of 911 call centers to better communicate with each other and improves 911 system resiliency. |
| Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO)/Private Sector | Non-profit or for-profit organizations participating in public safety/emergency communications planning, use or reconstitution (e.g., nongovernmental organizations, utilities, auxiliary communications, communication service providers, equipment operators, transportation, food distribution, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters). |
| Operability | Ability to provide and maintain reliable communications functionality throughout the area of responsibility. |
| Other Government Organizations in the Same Jurisdictions That Support Public Safety | Other government agencies (e.g., public health, public works, transportation, information technology). |
| Other Public Safety Organizations in the Same Jurisdiction | Other government agencies outside your own department (e.g., police department or sheriff’s office, fire department, ECCs/PSAPs, emergency management, emergency medical service agency). |
| Out-of-the-Ordinary Situations | Situations that may stretch and/or overwhelm the abilities of an organization. |
| Over-the-Air-Rekeying (OTAR) | OTAR remotely (i.e., over-the-air) updates encryption keys and other key materials and dramatically simplifies the process of rekeying subscriber radios in the field. It removes requirements to physically touch each radio to load keys with a key-loader. Notwithstanding, OTAR still has a degree of administrative overhead to locate and follow-up on subscriber radios that were not successfully rekeyed. |
| Personnel | Individuals responsible for communications installations, operations, and maintenance. |
| Primary | The system your organization uses most often for interoperability. |
| Priority Telecommunications Services | Three services (Government Emergency Telecommunications Service, Wireless Priority Services, Telecommunications Service Priority) that enable essential personnel to communicate when networks are degraded or congested (Government Emergency Telecommunications Service, Wireless Priority Services, Telecommunications Service Priority). |
| Proprietary Encryption/Non-Standard | Encryption algorithms that are not publicly known and/or not accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Institute (NIST) or other technical Standards Development Organizations. |
| Published and Active Agreements | Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), Executive Orders, legislation, Intergovernmental agreements, etc. |
| Resources | Communications personnel, equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for assignment to incident operations and for which status is maintained. |
| Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) | An application-layer control (signaling) protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating sessions with one or more participants. These sessions include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution, and multimedia conferences. |
| Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) | Intended to outline best practices - they are not mandatory, but help personnel follow the rules while allowing for flexibility. |
| Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) | Generally, refers to a reference document or an operations manual that provides the purpose, authorities, duration, and details for the preferred method of performing a single function or a number of interrelated functions in a uniform manner. |
| Strategic Planning | A planning process that establishes organizational goals and identifies, scopes, and establishes requirements for the provisioning of capabilities and resources to achieve them. |
| Telecommunications Service Priority | A CISA program that authorizes National Security and Emergency Preparedness organizations to receive priority treatment for vital voice and data circuits or other telecommunications services. |
Questions?
Visit cisa.gov/sns for the most up-to-date information.
Email sns@cisa.dhs.gov
Call SNS Help Desk at 1-800-915-5712