DHS Seeks to Improve Communication Between Public Safety Agencies in Joint Emergency Response Scenarios

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced on February 2, 2021 that the Integrated Justice Information Systems (IJIS) Institute will take charge of a new project to develop interoperability standards between the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems used by the nation’s public safety agencies.

During large-scale emergencies, many first responder agencies are unable to coordinate with one another for a more effective response. “One-off attempts to improve interoperability by developing custom interfaces have proven costly to develop and maintain,” according to the release announcing the project.

Norman Speicher, the program manager in DHS S&T’s First Responders and Detection Program overseeing this project, explained, “This IJIS-led project will help push the development of CAD interoperability standards across the finish line, resulting in greatly improved emergency response capability for the more than 6,000 public safety Emergency Communication Centers nationwide.”

The project, called CAD2CAD, aims to improving emergency response capability by creating interoperability between Computer Aided Dispatch systems. CAD2CAD can help first responders react to regional and national public safety emergencies in the most effective manner.

The first phase of this project will bring together public safety practitioners and CAD solution providers in a joint effort to, per the release, “evaluate specifications, promote development of standards-based CAD interoperable solutions, validate methodologies, and conduct pilot tests.” Upon the successful completion of pilot tests, DHS can activate an optional 14-month secondary phase where the interoperability standards would be tested to ensure they are viable. A potential plan for the commercialization and pervasive use of the solution would also be created.

Billy Bob Brown Jr., CISA executive assistant director for emergency communications, said, “This project highlights the critical partnership with public safety to embrace emerging technologies and find solutions to improve interoperability for CAD systems, enabling efficient response operations across the Nation.”