Future User Requirements for Federal Public Safety Agencies

1. Federal Law Enforcement Wireless Users Group (FLEWUG) Information Briefing For Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative Meeting May 9, 2000 Washington, D.C.

2. Information Briefing Objectives. . . The Objective of Today’s Briefing Is to Provide a Better Understanding of Future User Requirements for Federal Agencies With Public Safety Missions. . . • The briefing will— • Provide an overview of FLEWUG • Define what is meant by federal public safety • Outline the operational environment of federal public safety agencies • Highlight some developing trends • Provide an overview of the operational requirements of federal public safety agencies • Describe spectrum issues relating to federal public safety • Provide some points to ponder

3. About Federal Law Enforcement Wireless Users Group. . . What Is FLEWUG?. . . • FLEWUG was formally established through a National Performance Review Information Technology Initiative (IT04), which resulted in a 1994 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury • Key among FLEWUG’s objectives is to plan and coordinate future, shared-use, wireless communications systems and resources. Toward this end, FLEWUG supports: • The development of shared-resource, shared-use wireless communications systems • The efficient use of the spectrum • The implementation of interoperability among local, state, and federal public safety agencies • The membership of FLEWUG consists of more than 30 federal departments and agencies with law enforcement and other public safety responsibilities

4. About Federal Public Safety. . . What Is Federal Public Safety?. . . • Federal agencies that support public safety missions include: • Department of Agriculture • National Communications System • Department of Defense • National Institute of Standards and Technology • Department of Health and Human Services • National Park Service • Department of the Interior • National Security Agency • Department of Justice • National Telecommunications and • Department of State Information Administration • Department of the Treasury • United States Capitol Police • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms • United States Coast Guard • Bureau of Engraving and Printing • United States Customs Service • Bureau of Land Management • United States Fish and Wildlife Service • Defense Information Systems Agency • United States Forest Service • Drug Enforcement Administration • United States Marshals Service • Federal Bureau of Investigation • United States Mint • Federal Bureau of Prisons • United States Park Police • Federal Emergency Management Agency • United States Postal Inspection Service • Federal Law Enforcement Training Center • United States Postal Service • Immigration and Naturalization Service • United States Secret Service • IRS-Criminal Investigation Division • Federal agencies with public safety missions are responsible for law enforcement, urban and wildland fire fighting, search and rescue, and emergency response activities

5. Terrorism • Organized Crime • Federal Crime • Drug Trafficking • Espionage • Security and • Protective Operations • Federal Penitentiaries • Man-Made & Natural • Disasters • Search & Rescue • Immigration • Border Activities Operational Environment. . . The Diverse Missions of Federal Agencies Create a Unique and Challenging Operational Environment . . . Federal National/International

6. Operational Environment. . . In General, Federal Agencies Operate Nationwide and Must Contend With a Variety of Missions . . .

7. Rural Urban Suburban Operational Environment. . . Given the Necessity for Nationwide Coverage, Federal Agencies Encounter Diverse Geographic Terrain and Population Densities. . . . . . Challenges Such as These Have Significant Implications on Federal Wireless Communications Requirements

8. Operational Environment. . . In Addition, the Prevalence of Joint Missions and the Need for Interoperability Among Federal Agencies Is Increasing. . . • Day-to-Day Interoperability involves coordination during routine public safety operations • Mutual Aid Interoperability involves a joint and immediate response to catastrophic accidents or natural disasters and requires tactical communications among numerous groups of public safety personnel • Task Force Interoperability involves local, state, and federal agencies coming together for an extended period of time to address a public safety problem

9. Emerging Challenges. . . Federal Agencies Also Face a Number of Emerging Challenges. . . • Increasing number and frequency of joint missions • Diminishing critical resources (i.e., funding, spectrum, personnel) and existing infrastructure obsolescence • Systems security • Standards development and availability of standards-compliant equipment

10. Developing Trends. . . Recent Events, Evolving Technology, and Changing Mission Requirements Are Producing Interesting Trends . . . • Incidents such as the Oklahoma City Bombing, fugitive manhunts in North Carolina, and the Florida wild fires demonstrate the critical need for coordinated, interoperable wireless communications between federal entities and their state and local counterparts • Federal public safety agents are becoming more technologically sophisticated as advances in technology and software applications reshape day-to-day operations • Actions by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are requiring federal agencies to make more effective use of limited spectrum and funding resources • Changing mission requirements are prompting federal agencies to increase the number of agents in their organizations

11. Operational Requirements. . .Interoperability. . . Future Federal Public Safety Requirements Depend on The Ability of Public Safety Personnel to Effectively Communicate and Share Information. . . • Interoperability between and among public safety personnel is a top priority as collaboration among different federal, state, and local public safety organizations increase • The development of standards and open systems architectures must be addressed as technology moves from analog to digital transmission • Backward compatibility with state and local public safety, who are not moving as quickly to switch out their systems, must also be addressed to achieve or maintain interoperability in many areas

12. Operational Requirements. . .Policy Drivers. . . Federal Mandates and Regulatory Policies Are Driving a Number of Operational Requirements. . . • An NTIA mandate requires federal agencies to make more efficient use of radio spectrum (narrowband) • Very High Frequency (VHF) band by January 2005 • Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band by January 2008 • Congress has mandated significant amounts of federal spectrum be reallocated for other uses (e.g., commercial auctions) forcing federal agencies to do “more with less” • OMB and Congress are encouraging federal agencies to make more efficient use of funds • Maximize resource sharing through the use of consolidated infrastructures and the development of shared systems • Maximize use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and equipment

13. Operational Requirements. . .Mission Needs. . . The Nature and Diversity of Federal Public Safety Missions Also Provide Unique Requirements. . . • An increasing number of public safety missions operate in a portable environment— • The size, weight, and battery capacity of portable equipment is of concern • Equipment needs to be infrastructure independent (absence of infrastructure) as public safety personnel work in several different regions of the country • The need for multi-mode/multi-band radios is increasing • The current spectrum allocated for public safety use is located in nine discrete portions of the radio spectrum • The use of multiple frequency bands by public safety agencies operating in the same geographic regions further complicates interoperability and joint response communications

14. Operational Requirements. . .Mission Needs. . . The Nature and Diversity of Federal Public Safety Missions Also Provide Unique Requirements (Con’t). . . • Most law enforcement activities require security (i.e., encrypted communications) • There is increasing need for wireless data exchange between public safety personnel in the field (e.g., NCIC 2000) • Emergency and crisis events require the need for instantaneous voice communications

15. Spectrum Developments. . . Recent Spectrum Policy Developments Provide New Opportunities to Improve Interoperability Among Public Safety Agencies. . . • The FCC has allocated 24 MHz of new public safety spectrum in the 700 MHz band • FCC rules are being developed for voice and data applications in the 700 MHz band with recommendations provided by the NCC • Spectrum allocation includes designation of 2.6 MHz for interoperability • The FLEWUG promotes rules allowing “co-equal access,” which can be thought of as a new user category that allows federal use of this spectrum for the purpose of developing shared, interoperable wireless systems

16. Spectrum Developments. . . Acquiring Additional Spectrum for Public Safety and Improving Rules to Allow Sharing and Interoperability Are Key Objectives. . . • The recent allocation of 24 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band is much needed, but is not enough and may not be available in certain areas where it is most needed (densely populated areas) • An additional 73.5 MHz of spectrum are required to satisfy the mobile communication needs of the public safety community* • Spectrum management rules should more easily allow interoperability and shared systems among government at all levels * Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee Final Report, September 11, 1996.

17. Points to Ponder. . . In Closing, FLEWUG Welcomes the Opportunity to Work With Industry to Address Several Key Issues and Promote the Development of Innovative Wireless Communications Technologies. . . • The slow rate of private (non-commercial) LMR standards development is hampering the implementation of interoperability, product choice in the marketplace, and curtailing cost competitiveness • Forward compatibility among standards-compliant equipment is essential so that today’s investments maintain their value as technology advances • Backward compatibility among standards-compliant equipment is also important to ensure that technology advances do not introduce additional interoperability problems • Switching technology and other products that allow for systems-to-systems interconnections are critical to interoperability and cost-effective redundancy • Continued advances in systems architectures and product features to make more efficient use of spectrum remain important

18. Points to Ponder. . . In Closing, FLEWUG Welcomes the Opportunity to Work With Industry to Address Several Key Issues and Promote the Development of Innovative Wireless Communications Technologies (Con’t). . . • Commercial services can be better used by the public safety community to enhance private LMR systems capabilities to the extent that the following issues are addressed: • Priority access is afforded to public safety personnel • The availability of commercial services in less populous areas where public safety agencies are required to operate • Near instantaneous connectivity is provided to public safety personnel during emergency and crisis situations • Security measures and encryption are provided that meet minimum federal requirements