FW: June 2010 CCI Bulletin

["Kalin, William <CTR>" <bill.kalin@associates.dhs.gov>]

Title: Department of Homeland Security - CCI Bulletin - June 2010

 

 

Bill Kalin

Clarus Technology, Inc.

Office for Interoperability and Compatibility

Science and Technology

Department of Homeland Security

(O) - 202-254-6774

(C) - 703-283-2835

 

From: InteroperabilityInfo [mailto:_d4f66=sra.com@mcsv158.net] On Behalf Of InteroperabilityInfo
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 12:42 PM
Subject: June 2010 CCI Bulletin

 

June 2010 Edition

CCI Builds Partnerships and Provides Technical Assistance to Support Oil Spill Recovery Efforts

During the week of June 7, 2010, the Command, Control and Interoperability (CCI) Division sent a technical team to visit several Gulf Coast states and agencies participating in the Southeast Regional Operations Platform Pilot in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. The team provided states with technical assistance to support the oil spill response and in the integration of the Virtual USA (vUSA) Gen II prototype.

The Gen II prototype delivers a trusted environment in which each vUSA partner can upload data feeds, search partners’ catalogs, and download partner data into its own user defined operating picture. The team’s visit began in Tallahassee, Florida, and followed with meetings with state DHS representatives from Mississippi and Alabama, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other local, state, regional, and Federal representatives. The CCI team provided states with guidance on use of the Gen II prototype, installation of links to catalogs, and software demonstrations. In addition to helping states integrate the Gen II prototype, the team learned about states’ current information sharing challenges and needs, reactions to the current prototype design, and its functional requirements.

Following the team’s visit, states are now sharing information across jurisdictions and state boundaries. Representatives from BP agreed to share information with state agencies in the Gulf, which will provide responders across the region with a more comprehensive operating picture of the Gulf recovery effort. Currently, multiple agencies are sharing their WebEOC incident reports with the Gen II prototype. CCI’s technical team will be using the information gathered during this trip to further refine the Gen II prototype and assist states in integrating the platform into day-to-day operations.

CCI Highlights Division Initiatives at IACP LIEM

From May 24-27, 2010, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Law Enforcement Information Management (LEIM) conference convened in Atlanta, Georgia. IACP LIEM brought together law enforcement practitioners to share leading practices and lessons learned in the application of technology to fight crime. During the conference, CCI highlighted its work on cutting-edge projects and initiatives that impact the law enforcement community. This annual conference is the only law enforcement technology professional conference designed for practitioners by practitioners.

EuroVAST Symposium Further Strengthens CCI Relationship with International Partners

CCI Chief Science Advisor and Basic Futures Research (BFR) Program Lead, Dr. Joseph Kielman, participated in a panel entitled, "The Future for Visual Analytics," during the 2010 EuroVAST Conference, held on June 8, 2010, in Bordeaux, France. BFR programs aim to enhance the utility, completeness, and exchange of critical information through the use of visual analytics technologies and associated discrete sciences techniques. EuroVAST, collocated with the 2010 EuroVis Conference, served as the first international symposium in Europe with an emphasis on visual analytics science and technology. The conference featured many renowned speakers from research and industry, representing multiple countries. The event worked to promote and advance the integration of visualization and analytics methods for the purpose of problem solving in a variety of capacities.

CCI Addresses FEMA Disaster Response Capabilities

From June 29-30, 2010, CCI participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region X’s Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. CCI briefed the RISC Geographic Information Systems (GIS) subcommittee and conducted a working session pertaining to Alaska’s participation in the vUSA pilots. This meeting allowed participants to discuss how the vUSA initiative can advance FEMA Region X’s disaster response capabilities.

Dr. Boyd Presents Virtual USA Initiative to NENA

From June 5-10, 2010, CCI Director, Dr. David Boyd, addressed conference attendees at the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the vUSA initiative. Dr. Boyd discussed updates on current pilots and details on the development of a capability that will integrate disparate information-management applications seamlessly, thereby enabling more effective multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional incident-management operations. NENA provided the opportunity for renowned speakers, public safety professionals, telecommunications specialists, and government leaders to collaborate and share best practices regarding the most crucial issues that effect public safety.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

S&T has several active solicitations that are now available at http://baa.st.dhs.gov. The solicitations related to CCI include the following:

• Long Range BAA 10-01: The S&T Directorate is soliciting individuals or teams to conduct basic research, initiate applied technology development, or prepare integrated prototypes for field investigations of the performance of new and innovative solutions. Examples of interest areas and relevant technologies include:
• Interoperable devices and systems that work to improve information sharing and collaboration among emergency responders across all levels of government
• Advanced information assurance for networked infrastructure protection
• Integrated incident management components and systems to improve emergency responder safety
• Innovative technologies to increase operational efficiency and create new capabilities for criminal and terrorist investigations and operations

In addition, efforts that propose basic or advanced research and technology demonstration may be submitted to address technology gaps as described in the S&T document, High-Priority Technology Needs, dated May 2009. This document is also available at https://baa.st.dhs.gov/. For questions about this solicitation, please contact SandT.CCI@dhs.gov.

Save the Date

In celebration of its 76th anniversary, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) will hold its International Conference in Houston, Texas, from August 1-5, 2010. As APCO’s signature event, this annual conference draws emergency response decision makers — including practitioners, industry representatives, and policy makers — from around the world. The Conference provides the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility with the opportunity to showcase projects and initiatives that impact the emergency response community.

From August 25-28, 2010, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) will host the annual Fire-Rescue International Conference in Chicago, Illinois. This event is expected to attract more than 15,000 fire and emergency response leaders from around the world. The conference will provide CCI with the opportunity to highlight key projects and initiatives within the field of fire protection. Additionally, CCI will equip key leaders in fire and emergency services with crucial information about resources that enable seamless and secure interactions.

Through a practitioner-driven approach, the Command, Control and Interoperability Division (CCI) in the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) of the U .S Department of Homeland Security (DHS) creates and deploys information resources —standards, frameworks, tools, and technologies— to enable seamless and secure interactions among homeland security stakeholders. With its Federal partners, CCI is working to strengthen capabilities to communicate, share, visualize, analyze, and protect information.

The CCI Bulletin provides updates about CCI-related initiatives, accomplishments, and opportunities. This Bulletin is distributed to stakeholders monthly. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please e-mail Wendy Howe at wendy.howe2@hq.dhs.gov.

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