Interoperability grades show promise
In the wake of Sept. 11, interoperability emerged as a mainstream issue. No longer a niche nuisance relegated to the scrap heap of obscurity, daily newspapers and weekly newsmagazines stumbled across this “new” problem. Interoperability — or the lack thereof — finally became newsworthy.
As a result, first responders found themselves with a $3.5 billion proposed budget for fiscal 2003. Of that, $1.36 billion was earmarked for enhanced communications infrastructure to support interoperability – a funding leap of more than 100 percent over the previous fiscal year.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that a federal report — released in mid-April — revealed that efforts to improve public safety wireless communications interoperability are succeeding.
The National Interoperability Scorecard, a state-by-state examination of public safety wireless communications interoperability shows that — overall — the nation’s interoperability score improved 41 percent to 57.65 in 2003.
When the first State Interoperability Index was released two years ago, the country earned a 40.82 (out of 100).
The Public Safety Wireless Network Program, a joint initiative of the Departments of Justice and Treasury, compiled and released the National Interoperability Scorecard.
“We are encouraged by the results of this study, which show that wireless interoperability is improving nationwide,” said Robert E. Lee Jr., PSWN program manager at the Department of Justice. “It demonstrates that the PSWN Program and other efforts to improve the ability of public safety officials to communicate across jurisdictional and departmental lines are having a positive impact.”
“Wireless interoperability is an important measure of our nation’s emergency preparedness and response capacity, and we are delighted to announce such a significant improvement in this critical area,” added Rick Murphy, PSWN program manager at the Department of Homeland Security.
New and improved
The National Interoperability Scorecard updates and improves on information provided in the PSWN Program’s original assessment released a little more than two years ago. The study measures interoperability with respect to six key issue areas: shared systems development, coordination and partnerships, funding, spectrum, standards and technology, and security.
According to a statement released by the PSWN Program, “the most significant improvements reported in the new assessment are in the areas of security, standards and technology, and coordination and partnerships.”
The original assessment, compiled in March 2001, placed states in one of four interoperability categories: “new,” “developing,” “established,” or “mature.” In 2001, the majority of states were categorized as “developing.”
The National Interoperability Scorecard streamlines measurement by grouping states in three categories: new, developing, or established.
Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota moved to the “established” category for the first time this year. They join Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah, grouped in the “established” category in 2001.
The District of Columbia, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia, which ranked in the “new” category in the original assessment in 2001 because their interoperability efforts were in early stages, showed some of the biggest increases in their interoperability scores in the 2003 analysis.
More than observers
Since the March 2001 assessment, the PSWN Program has provided extensive assistance to states with the lowest ratings, and helped to raise their ratings in critical areas such as coordination and partnerships.
Although most states remain in the “developing” category, they have made measurable strides to engage legislative and public safety leaders in efforts to advance interoperability, to explore funding options, and to create strategic plans for system design, engineering, and implementation.
To develop the 2003 scorecard, the PSWN Program collected data from state-level communications personnel who operate or manage statewide communications systems, or who play a key role in interoperability efforts within their state. The PSWN Program then calculated an interoperability score in each of the six issue areas for each of the states and the District of Columbia.
Composite scores for the states were then totaled and averaged across all the states surveyed to create a national interoperability score.
The PSWN Program, a joint initiative of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury, brings together officials from local, state, federal, and tribal governments to improve wireless interoperability among the country’s fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services organizations. The program conducts pilot projects and symposiums nationwide and provides comprehensive information on wireless interoperability.
