Home / Programs / Information Sharing / Publications / Public Safety Issue Briefs

Public Safety Issue Briefs

The Issue Briefs series addresses best practices and key topical issues related to public safety communications interoperability. They are designed for practitioners with limited time and a need to know about the latest industry-based knowledge. The series is prepared by SEARCH under funding from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

Issue Brief #1-Disaster Planning and Recovery: 9-1-1 Center Survivability
This Issue Brief takes a look at what has been learned about 9-1-1 communications center survivability since Hurricane Katrina, and offers insight into what we might expect and what we need to be thinking about to assist 9-1-1 centers to respond to and recover from major and catastrophic events that affect 9-1-1 operations.
Issue Brief #2-Communications in the Incident Command System
This Issue Brief presents background on communications within the National Incident Management System and its Incident Command System. It examines the role of communications within these constructs, as well as in the context of multi-agency response to disasters and emergencies. It concludes with operational best practices for effective use of incident communications units.
Issue Brief #3-Building a Regional Communications Plan
A key step in integrating technology and operational requirements is building a regional communications plan. This Issue Brief presents the basic steps in building such a plan to improve interoperability and, ultimately, joint response to emergencies.
Issue Brief #4-Interoperable Communications Training and Exercises: Creating Processes, Tools, and Techniques
Communications is not an independent element of emergency response that can be adequately exercised and evaluated in isolation. It is through integrated exercises that communications can be trained in context, tested, evaluated, and set for continuous improvements. These will assist your agency or region in becoming better prepared to prevent, respond to, and recover from a real-world incident.
Issue Brief #5-Performance Measurement and Interoperability
This Issue Brief defines interoperable communications, performance measures, the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum, and provides predictive modeling/statistical measurement solutions. It presents an overview of how these concepts could be combined to develop a solution for performance measurement and interoperability.
Issue Brief #6-Project 25: The Quest for Interoperable Radios
Project 25. Few terms have been more closely associated with the quest for communications interoperability among public safety agencies. But what exactly is Project 25? Where did it come from and where is it headed? What is its value to public safety agencies and technology managers? This Issue Brief attempts to answer those questions, providing background and current information for decision makers who may be considering use of radios and radio systems built around standards that have arisen from the project.
Issue Brief #7–Developing Interoperability: Standard Operating Procedures
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are one of the five "critical success factors" essential for Interoperable communications. This Issue Brief educates the public safety community on the need for these SOPS, and the best way to effectively implement them within agencies. It is aimed at public safety first responders (police, fire, EMS) and emergency communications personnel.
Issue Brief #8-The "Accidental" Project Manager
Public safety operations, communications, or first responder personnel may find themselves in the position of managing an IT project for their organization—sometimes with little or no preparation, or while balancing their primary job assignments. A new term has been coined to describe this trial-by-fire nature of project management: The "accidental" project manager. This Issue Brief defines what an accidental project manager is, explains why project management matters, and outlines how to effectively manage this reality.
Issue Brief #9-An Introduction to Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Long Term Evolution (LTE), commonly referred to as 4G—or next generation wireless communications—is the new standard for public safety broadband. This Issue Brief discusses the advantages and limitations of LTE technologies for public safety.
Issue Brief #10-Improving Life Cycle Management Through IT Service Management
This Issue Brief looks at both the traditional and Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) approaches to life cycle management, and highlights why it is important to engage in a continual improvement process. It reveals how managing public safety services using elements of ITSM can increase service quality, reliability, and operational efficiency, resulting in cost savings.
Issue Brief #11-Free Project Management Tools
As budgets diminish, public safety project managers must find new ways to manage projects with fewer resources. Free project management tools can support capital and noncapital public safety projects. This Issue Brief provides an overview of free project management tools, summarizing how they can be used to support public safety projects.
Issue Brief # 12-Using Social Media to Market and Promote Public Safety Projects
This Issue Brief provides a brief overview of several free social media tools and summarizes how they can be used to market and promote public safety projects. Social media can support public safety project communication with a wide range of stakeholders, including public safety first responders, governmental representatives at all levels, and the public at large.