1. COPS 2007 Technology Program Kickoff Conference Interoperability Through Gateways Tom Sorley, Deputy Director Radio Communication Services City of Houston Information Technology Department

2. First Responder Community • 28,000+ Fire Departments • 950,000+ Fire Fighters • 6,000+ EMS Departments • 800,000+ EMS Personnel • 15,000+ LE Agencies • 700,000+ LE Officers

3. Operability before Interoperability • Ensure the system you own is working properly before connecting it to other systems • Funding • Coverage • Technology • Consider the operational needs when planning the technical solutions

4. Top Three Reasons for Interoperability Failures • Failure to establish effective working relationships with neighboring agencies • Failure to establish an interoperability vision or practice interoperability • Failure to commit to national standards or interoperability training

5. Creating a Foundation for Interoperability • Requires a “Change Agent” • Support and commitment from Agency Head • Regular meetings to foster working relationships and trust • Establish, Execute and Follow Formal Governance Model

6. Governance • Written Agreement • Shared Standard Operation Procedure • Memorandum of Understanding • Inter-local Agreement • Governance Committee • Representative Board • Council of Governments

7. Governance Activities • Regular Meetings of Decision Makers • Establish “between meeting” communication process • Email list • Common Web site • Conference Calls • If individual or discipline-specific groups are formed must have periodic joint meetings between all groups

8. Common Nomenclature • Frequency charts are generally not available during emergencies • First responders employ “Turn and Compare” method • Mismatched display names on radios = NO INTEROPERABILITY • www.NPSTC.org

9. Gateways: Advanced Planning • Inventory area systems and frequency usage • Gateways do not provide coverage where none exists • Match technical solution to operational need • Constant need? • Large scale occasional need? • Small scale occasional need?

10. Gateways: Advanced Planning • Work toward standardized channel names • Agree to program national interoperability channels in all applicable frequency bands • Acquire and pre-program proprietary radios with area system information

11. Gateway Applications • Fixed Gateways • Overlapping coverage areas • Daily interoperability between static partner agencies • Suitable for connecting trunked radio systems • ACU1000 and others

12. Fixed Gateway

13. Gateway Applications • Mobile Advanced Gateways • Requires a technician • Extensive technician training required • Connecting trunked systems requires configuration • TRP1000 and others

14. Mobile Advanced Gateway

15. Gateway Applications • Mobile BASIC Gateways • First responder deployable • Some training required • Best suited to conventional systems • ICRI and others

16. Mobile Basic Gateway

17. Tom SorleyDeputy DirectorRadio Communication ServicesCity of Houston tom.sorley@cityofhouston.net832-393-9611