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EMS Summit October 2, 2003. Building a Wide Area Public Safety Network Technologies Used, Lessons Learned. William E. Ott, MS, Paramedic. Objectives. Create a broadband communications system to link all public safety agencies and sites Allow for redundant capability from existing networks
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EMS SummitOctober 2, 2003 Building a Wide Area Public Safety NetworkTechnologies Used, Lessons Learned William E. Ott, MS, Paramedic
Objectives • Create a broadband communications system to link all public safety agencies and sites • Allow for redundant capability from existing networks • Provide improved incident command and tactical capabilities • Provide redundant ‘detached’ EOC capability • Provide voice and data capability
Participants in system • County government • City government • County EMS • City Fire Department • County Fire Departments • City Police Department • County Sheriff Department • City/County 911
Resources to share • Multiple Microsoft SQL Servers • FD/EMS mirrored • FD/EMS replicated • 911 AS400 system • Agency tie in to CAD info • Public Safety only messaging system • Site to site • Site to vehicle • Vehicle to vehicle • Bandwidth for contractors, vendors, media primarily during emergencies
Project Timeline • Initial work on this project dates to 1995 with serious work on solutions starting in 1997 • A variety of issues both technical and political caused stumbling blocks until 2002 when the project rapidly moved toward completion
Known Obstacles • City and County governments that do not get along, work together, or agree on nearly anything • City and county both with longstanding ideas on who and how connectivity will be provided
Connectivity Options • Many changes since 1995 • Dial-up • Sneaker-Net • Frame Relay • Local wireless • Vehicle wireless • DSL, Cable, Satellite • Metro Ethernet
Technical Issues • Firewalls • Intrusion Detection • Virtual Private Networks • SSL • IPSec • Bandwidth allocation and management • Maintenance and support costs • Policies and procedures
Technical Issues • Committed Information Rate (CIR) • Varies by carrier • Varies by technology • Price planning • Monthly or quarterly fees • Maintenance and support issues • Provider management of VPNs versus self management
Network and Resource Topology • IP based network • Mostly cable modem based • Three locations with DSL • One location with satellite • Two core sites share leased lines • Several core locations share a redundant fiber optic ring
Remote Access Issues • Require all remote access to be IPSec based VPN • Hardware • Software • Determining appropriate personnel to have remote access • Authentication issues for remote users • IP address • User name, password, shared secret • Use of SSL based service such as GoToMyPC
Wireless (commercial) Issues • CDPD, phased out soon, very slow • Proprietary solutions were too expensive • CDMA 2.5 / 3.0 generation services with Sprint and Verizon are working well and are affordable
Wireless local segments • Utilizing some local 802.11 wireless • Must have IPSec VPN overlay • WEP is easily cracked • MAC filtering is easily spoofed • Currently utilizing Sonicwall SOHO 3 TWZ and Netgear FVM318 firewalls with IPSec based wireless in locations needing wireless • Wireless very useful but dangerous if not deployed properly
Lessons learned? • Getting local players to cooperate was the biggest issue • Technology is changing very, very fast • What is reasonable now may be slow or overpriced in twelve months • Avoid contracts with carriers longer than 12 months, 24 months at a maximum • Need clear requirements up front
Lessons learned? • Involve applications and database managers and vendors in the network processes to account for bandwidth needed for replication and mirroring issues • Stay current with networking technologies in the trade press • Press carriers for more bandwidth, lower prices, higher CIR