DHS communications diagram.
On July 8, 2014 Rep. Brooks of Indiana asked for and was granted time to address a very serious issue regarding the lack of interoperability of its communications systems among departments within the Department of Homeland Security.
What is communications Interoperability? The ability to:
A) Communicate within discipline
B) Communicate across discipline
C) Communicate across jurisdiction
In order to: 1) Coordinate at a regional level. 2) Coordinate at incident commander level. 3) Communicate across tactical response.
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4289, the Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act, introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, Mr. Payne. I am happy to be an original cosponsor of this important legislation, which the Committee on Homeland Security also approved last month by a bipartisan voice vote.
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include, among the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security’s Under Secretary for Management, achieving and maintaining interoperable communications among the Department’s components.
H.R. 4289 addresses the findings and recommendations of a November 2012 DHS Office of Inspector General report, which stated that the Department does not have the appropriate oversight or governance structure to ensure communications interoperability among its own components.
The Department has been in the forefront on working with stakeholders to provide our Nation’s first responders with the resources and tools needed to have effective interoperable communications. Now the Department needs to practice what they preach. It is vital that the Department’s own components are able to effectively communicate day to day and, most importantly, during emergencies.
In order to ensure the Department is taking the necessary steps to achieve and maintain interoperable communications capabilities, H.R. 4289 requires the Department’s Under Secretary for Management to submit an interoperable communications strategy to the Department of Homeland Security no later than 120 days after enactment.
I applaud the ranking member for his work and leadership on bringing this to the floor.
I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time”, said Rep. Brooks.
Source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov/