i_911tf_2016a_2016-10-25t09:06:58z3 Hearing Summary

Date: 10/25/2016

10:44 AM -- Emergency Management Panel



Mr. Mike Chard, Director, Boulder Office of Emergency Management (OEM); Kevin R. Klein, Director, Division of Homeland Security Emergency Management (DHSEM) within the Colorado Department of Public Safety; and Pat Sarin, Lead for Disaster of Emergency Communications (DEC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), came to the table to participate on the panel.



Mr. Chard introduced himself to the task force and discussed how emergency managers use reverse 911 to notify citizens of emergencies. He also explained that OEM supports PSAPs and other entities across the state, and attempts to educate citizens. He also discussed outages. He explained that when he knows of a 911 outage, he can deploy secondary systems to continue notifications. He stated that the location of infrastructure should be examined because infrastructure placed in areas that may be exposed to natural disasters would more likely result in an outage. Mr. Chard stressed the importance of the community engagement systems. He discussed regulation of 911 systems, and stressed the importance of local autonomy for reacting to disasters.





10:54 AM



Mr. Klein introduced himself and explained the organization of DHSEM, including individual departments and offices: the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Preparedness, and the Office of Prevention and Security. Mr. Klein explained the importance of the 911 system for emergency response, and stated that citizens need rapid and reliable access to the 911 system. He stated that at the state level, 911 helps minimize the size of events and gives the state situational awareness to permit appropriate responses. He also explained how the state works with PSAPs to properly allocate resources to respond to emergencies. The state also utilizes 911 for suspicious activity reporting by citizens, which supports counter-terrorism efforts.



Ms. Sarin introduced herself, and explained that DEC provides emergency communications support when such systems fail in the states. Such communication includes voice, data, and video. They support states through a working group that consists of responders from all states in FEMA Region VIII (which includes Colorado), as well as federal personnel. This work group permits FEMA to work across state lines to combat disasters that may be located in one state. DEC also coordinates mobile communications systems that are deployed in emergencies.



In response to a question, Mr. Chard stated that the task force recommendations should include comments about the use of secondary systems, and a thoughtful analysis of what is causing the interruptions, and set reporting rules accordingly. He believes that it is important to take time to study issues, and suggested collaborative solutions.





11:08 AM



Discussion turned to reporting and communication. Mr. Chard stated that PSAPs receive notification about outages, and the PSAP then communicates with emergency management and other agencies. Mr. Klein also stated that communication flows through PSAPs, and that with the Colorado State Patrol, DHSEM manages Colorado's emergency communication network. Ms. Sarin informed the task force that the state's statewide interoperability coordinator would dictate how FEMA is contacted when assistance is needed. In Colorado, the statewide interoperability coordinator and the statewide public safety communications subcommittee is located in DHSEM.



Senator Martinez Humenik was recognized by the chair. In response, Mr. Klein discussed communication training and education for emergency response personnel. He stated that DHSEM's primary role is bringing equipment to disaster sites.



Mr. Klein responded to a question about redundancy by stating that their systems can be used as back-up systems in emergencies, but that those systems should not be relied upon generally. He also explained outage situations in which DHSEM's equipment will not help maintain 911 service, such as short term power failures or other brief outages when callers cannot get through to 911. Instead, DHSEM's systems are designed to provide support in major emergency situations. Mr. Klein discussed the equipment owned by the state, the Colorado National Guard, and the role of the telecom carriers in providing wireless communication. Mr. Klein discussed the specific response to the 2013 floods in Colorado.





11:19 AM



Mr. Klein continued to discuss the response to the 2013 floods. He emphasized that DHSEM worked to get communications functioning in an emergency state, not in a normal user state. Mr. Chard commented that work on daily emergencies lays the groundwork for responding to large-scale emergencies. He also mentioned the importance of reverse 911 and notification systems. Ms. Sarin commented on the response to the 2013 floods.



Senator Martinez Humenik was recognized by the chair. She asked a question about portable wireless communications devices. Mr. Chard responded that time frames vary when responding and setting up back-up devices.



Mr. Chard responded to a question about funding, stating that funding sources for OEM includes the City of Boulder, the County of Boulder, and federal funding.