DHS Releases National Emergency Communications Plan for Emergency Responders
August 14, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to help address gaps and determine solutions for emergency response personnel.
The NECP defines three goals that establish a minimum level of interoperable communications and a deadline for federal, state, local and tribal authorities:
- By 2010, 90% of all high-risk urban areas designated within the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) can demonstrate response-level emergency communications within one hour for routine events involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies.
- By 2011, 75% of non-UASI jurisdictions can demonstrate response-level emergency communications within one hour for routine events involving multiple jurisdictions and agencies.
- By 2013, 75% of all jurisdictions can demonstrate response-level emergency communications within three hours of a significant event, as outlined in the department's national planning scenarios.
To help meet these goals, the NECP established the following seven objectives for improving emergency communications for the nation's federal, state, local and tribal emergency responders:
- Formal decision-making structures and defined leadership roles coordinate emergency communications capabilities.
- Federal emergency communications programs and initiatives are collaborative across agencies and aligned to achieve national goals.
- Emergency responders employ common planning and operational protocols to effectively use their resources and personnel.
- Emerging technologies are integrated with current emergency communications capabilities through standards implementation, research and development and testing and evaluation.
- Emergency responders have shared approaches to training and exercises, improved technical expertise and enhanced response capabilities.
- All levels of government drive long-term advancements in emergency communications through integrated strategic planning procedures, appropriate resource allocations and public-private partnerships.
- The nation has integrated preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery capabilities to communicate during significant events.
The NECP is designed to drive measurable and sustainable improvements over the next five years consistent with the National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, National Preparedness Guidelines and Target Capabilities List.
NECP goals, along with these other department strategies, are touted as improving nationwide response efforts and bolstering situational awareness, information sharing and command and control operations, according to DHS.
The NECP can be found at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/national_emergency_communications_plan.pdf.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).