Interoperability in the Commonwealth of Virginia—FY 2008 A Year in Review

1. Interoperability in the Commonwealth of Virginia—FY 2008 A Year in Review

2. Mission & Vision Mission: Improve public safety communications in the Commonwealth of Virginia through enhanced voice and data communications interoperability. Vision: By 2015, agencies and their representatives at the local, regional, state, and federal levels will be able to communicate using compatible systems, in real time, across disciplines and jurisdictions, to respond more effectively during day-to-day operations and major emergency situations. Mission & Vision • Virginia is being used as a national best practices model by the SAFECOM Program and DHS for interoperability planning.

3. State Interoperability Executive Committee Purpose of the SIEC: Make recommendations via the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness' Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator to the Commonwealth Preparedness Working Group, Secure Commonwealth Panel, and the Office of the Governor concerning communications interoperability.

4. Legislative Update • Governor Kaine signed HB 839 and SB 520 codifying the State Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC). This brings the membership up to 30. • This legislation was unanimously recommended by the Secure Commonwealth Panel.

5. State Interoperability Executive Committee Member Organizations - Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator - Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police - Virginia Association of Governmental Emergency Medical Services Administrators - Virginia Fire Chiefs Association - Office of Commonwealth Preparedness - Virginia Sheriffs’ Association - Virginia Association of Counties - Virginia Chapter of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) - Statewide Agencies Radio System (STARS) - Virginia Information Technologies Agency - Virginia Municipal League - Secretary of Public Safety - Secretary of Technology - Virginia Military Advisory Council - Virginia Department of State Police - Virginia Department of Military Affairs - Virginia Department of Emergency Management - Virginia Department of Transportation - Virginia Emergency Managers Association - Virginia Professional Fire Fighters - Virginia State Firefighter’s Association - Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services - Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services - 7 Regional Preparedness Advisory Committee Representatives – 1 from each region

6. Purpose of this Bill – Why Did We Codify? • This bill codifies the existing Executive Directive to formally establish the SIEC and provides stability to the interoperability effort. • Section 9.1-1200 of the Code of Virginia requires all localities to comply with the Statewide Strategic Plan for Communications Interoperability by July 1, 2015. Maintaining representation from local, regional and state level organizations and agencies results in a coordinated effort to achieve interoperability within the Commonwealth by July 2015. • The codification helps maintain Virginia’s place as a national leader in interoperability by institutionalizing Virginia’s highly recognized, practitioner-driven governance structure.

7. Long-term Objectives Objective 1 • Manage statewide interoperability governance and outreach Objective 2 • Achieve communications operability as necessary to support interoperability Objective 3 • Achieve voice and data interoperable communications within each locality to enhance multi-discipline response capabilities Objective 4 • Achieve multi-discipline and multi-jurisdiction voice and data interoperable communications to enhance regional response capabilities Objective 5 • Enhance state agencies’ voice and data interoperable communications across the Commonwealth to provide comprehensive support during emergencies

8. Long-term Objectives Objective 6 • Provide region to region and region to state voice and data interoperable communications to enhance mutual aid response capabilities Objective 7 • Create communications back-up and redundancy for interoperability systems to ensure communications are maintained following catastrophic events Objective 8 • Support interoperable communications with federal entities and other states to respond to national and multi-state emergencies Objective 9 • Achieve the integration of private entities identified as part of critical infrastructure/key resources and the participants in the state emergency operation plan (EOP) into interoperability efforts to ensure communications are maintained during emergencies and recovery efforts

9. Initiative 1: Define minimum levels of operable and interoperable communications capabilities for each region Initiative 2: Match specific voice and data solutions to identified regional operational needs, and address connectivity and sustainability. Initiative 3: Continue to establish Strategic Technology Reserve (STR) to enhance back-up communications capability within the Commonwealth of Virginia Initiative 4: Promote the establishment of regional systems of systems and interface with STARS to localities and regions to expand communications among disparate systems 2008 SCIP Initiatives

10. Initiative 5: Support expansion of national interoperability channels in all bands to allow responders to use their home system’s radio regardless of location within the Commonwealth of Virginia Initiative 6: Support the expansion, deployment and integration of WebEOC and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) statewide to coordinate incident management data interoperability Initiative 7: Ensure portable and mobile radio purchases and replacements are P-25 and narrowband compliant 2008 SCIP Initiatives

11. Governance

12. Regional Preparedness Advisory Committees (RPAC)

13. State Interoperability Executive Committee Initiative Action Teams • Common Language • Radio Caches • Operations Model • Technical Plan • Grant Application Evaluations • RPAC-Is • Interoperability Conference

14. SIEC Role in Grant Funding Federal Grant Funding: Over $37M has been distributed to Virginia localities and state agencies to aid in achieving interoperable communications Sources of Funding Include: • SHSGP - PSIC - COPS - IECGP - LETPP - NIJ - Byrne

15. From the Statewide Plan: Initiative 1:Define minimum levels of operable and interoperable communications capabilities for each region Develop an interoperable communications operations model Utilize the Commonwealth Communications Baseline Survey to help localities determine their specific operational needs for voice and data communications Engage RPACs to obtain guidance from regional stakeholders Identify operational gaps for each region Address gaps to the extent possible with available resources Focus on operability projects in rural communities Operations Model Overview

16. Operations Model Analogy • How can these tools help you do that? • COMLINC can help me talk to the State Police • None of these tools help me talk to other disciplines in my jurisdiction • What do you need to be able to do? • Talk to the State Police • Talk to other disciplines in my jurisdiction • Here are the tools that we have: • STR • COMLINC • Nat’l Interop Channels • WebEOC/GIS

17. 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Operations Model Purpose 1.2 Operations Model Scope 2 OPERATIONS MODEL 2.1 CoVA Initiatives 2.2 CoVA initiatives and the 2015 Goals/Objectives 2.3 CoVA Initiatives and Minimum Target Capabilities for 2015 3 ANALYSIS 3.1 Prioritization of initiatives 3.2 Gaps 3.3 Short and long term components 4 APPENDIX 4.1 Relationship with Other Virginia Projects/Initiatives 4.2 Operations Model Sources 4.3 Operations Model Process 4.4 Terms and Definitions Operations Model Draft Scope

18. Technical Plan From the Statewide Plan: Initiative 2:Match specific voice and data solutions to identified regional operational needs, and address connectivity and sustainability Develop a technology strategy that describes the system of systems vision and the overall direction of interoperability in the state Evaluate existing technology systems by region to better plan for technology installations Identify opportunities to leverage the statewide IT infrastructure projects in the technical strategy Address connectivity and sustainability for interoperability solutions

19. PSIC Grant Overview • Strategic Technology Reserve – includes completion of 3 Type I radio caches & a state agency project • Northern VA Data Interoperability Project – joint project with Maryland & DC • Technology: Connectivity and Sustainability - includes projects dealing with microwave, broadband and satellite systems • Communications Infrastructure and National Interoperability Channels - Includes projects to improve radios and repeaters, along with the ability to connect into the National Interoperability Channels • Tactical Interoperability Solutions: State Agency Gateways • Tactical Interoperability Solutions: Locality Gateways • Portable and Mobile Interoperability Solutions - includes projects to purchase radios, software and training

20. Questions to Ask • How do your choices for equipment purchases link to one of the goals in the Virginia Interoperability Strategic Plan? Regional Plans? • Is the equipment you are purchasing P25 compliant? If not you must state why you are not buying P25 compliant equipment which is alright when there are good reasons. • How would this project increase interoperable communications for your region? • Does your proposal describe the specific problems or needs that are to be addressed? • Does the proposal have a detailed budget and timeline? • Does the proposal include an operational plan that addresses how the effort will be funded now and in the future?

21. 5th Annual Virginia Interoperable Communications Conference September 30-October 1, 2008 Norfolk, VA 21