New York State Hosts First Public Safety Interoperability Symposium with Focus on Governance

• by New York State Office for Technology

ALBANY, NY (07/03/2009)(readMedia)-- On July 1 and 2, 2009, Governor David A. Paterson, and the New York State Chief Information Officer/Office for Technology (CIO/OFT) Statewide Interoperability Program Office (SIPO) hosted the first New York State Public Safety Interoperability Symposium in Albany, New York. With a focus on governance, the goal of the Symposium was to help state and local policymakers improve state interoperability governance structures that oversee public safety communications interoperability planning and implementation.

The two-day event brought together nearly 250 attendees including government executives; county, state, and federal first responders; tribal associations; neighboring contiguous Border States and Canada; and the Statewide Interoperability Program Advisory Council to discuss statewide interoperability and recommendations for policy.

"Effective governance requires participation from the whole community, not just a single group or agency. The New York State Public Safety Interoperability Symposium is a valuable resource to assist in developing new strategies to strengthen our governance structure and sustain our statewide interoperable communications plan. I am confident a refined governance policy regarding interoperability will result in improved public safety throughout New York," said Governor David A. Paterson.

The conference used a combination of panels and presentations from government executives, national subject matter experts and neighboring states. Sessions focused on creating a comprehensive understanding of the importance of interoperability among public safety wireless networks and share best practices to advance governance.

During her opening remarks, Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, New York State Chief Information Officer and Director of the Office for Technology, emphasized the priority of achieving an interoperable public safety communications solution for New York State and the importance of engaging our first responders in the planning process.

"Coordination among local and state agencies will be essential as we work to improve interoperability among public safety networks," said Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart. "We were pleased to provide an open forum for lively discussion on public safety interoperability for New York. I hope attendees have a better understanding of the importance of creating an inclusive governance structure that adheres to state and national standards."

"Coordinating public safety interoperability initiatives in New York State requires a thorough practical knowledge and understanding of the various existing communications systems and how they are used; proven experience in operating and maintaining a public safety grade communications system; and a true understanding of the day to day business of and interactions between public safety first responders," said New York State Police Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt. "The ability of first responders to effectively communicate is paramount to the safety the residents of New York State and beyond. Bringing the stakeholders together at this symposium is a crucial step toward the goal of communications interoperability."

On behalf of Governor David A. Paterson, Brendan Fitzgerald, Assistant Secretary for Technology, Gaming and Operations, gave greetings and emphasized Governor Paterson's commitment to improving emergency communications throughout New York State and the need for collaboration among state agencies and across local and state jurisdictions.

"As New York moves forward with a regionalized approach to emergency communications, fostering partnerships with local governments will remain a priority. Deploying systems that can meet unique community needs, while at the same time providing seamless interoperable communications, is the state's goal," said Brendan Fitzgerald.

Robert LeGrande, former Chief Technology Officer for the District of Columbia and President and CEO of LeGrande Technical and Social Services, LLC., shared success stories describing how the District of Columbia developed the nation's first city-wide PS 700 MHz wireless broadband network. During his remarks, he stressed the importance of establishing a partnership between user groups to develop governance and data sharing policies.

"I believe that standards, along with locally determined build and buy flexibility and control are critical to achieving nation-wide interoperability. New York State and other states who adopted this approach, I believe will be successful," said Robert LeGrande.

Attendees also heard from keynote speakers Taylor Heard, Deputy Director of Emergency Communications for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Thomas G. Donlon, Director of the NYS Office of Homeland Security.

During his presentation, Taylor Heard emphasized the importance of collaboration in working to achieve interoperability. The Office of Emergency Communications created the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP), in concert with first responder and public safety agencies across the country, to establish an integrated, national vision for aligning the emergency response community on the issue of communications. The NECP continues to drive progress in these efforts.

"It is no secret that achieving effective emergency communications can be challenging. It requires a willingness to recognize the needs of others at the table and to work towards a common goal. This type of coordination is the foundation for how we enhance emergency communications capabilities across our great nation," said Taylor Heard.

Thomas Donlon further discussed the evolving threat of terrorism and the need for a coordinated and effective response to terrorism or natural disaster incidents. He also explained the NYS Office of Homeland Security's role as the state administrative authority for federal homeland security grant funding, which provides both the tools and training for interoperable communications.

"Through the years, the top priority of New York State has been to give first responders - among them police and firefighters - the tools and wherewithal they need to do their jobs as they form our front line of defense," said Thomas Donlon. "I have found that effective communications among our valiant men and women leads to an effective and coordinated response to any incident and, most importantly, a successful conclusion."

This first NYS Public Safety Interoperability Symposium was supported by a $50,000 grant awarded in 2008 by the National Governor's Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices. New York State's selection was a result of Governor David A. Paterson's application to NGA to establish a formalized governance structure to guide New York State's interoperable communications efforts.

The mission of the Statewide Interoperability Program Office is to plan for and foster interoperability among local, state, federal, and tribal public safety networks.

For additional information on SIPO visit http://www.cio.ny.gov/SIPO/Aboutsipo/aboutsipo.htm.

About CIO/OFT

The State Chief Information Officer and Office for Technology (CIO/OFT) provide statewide IT strategic direction, IT policy and centralized IT services to the state and its governmental entities. CIO/OFT provides IT enterprise services to support the missions of state agencies by operating four mainframe data centers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including more than 90,000 telecom users, 50 statewide mission-critical applications, a secure network of over 1,600 miles of fiber, including IT operations, telecommunications, Internet and Intranet services, enterprise email systems and support, IT training, networking, data storage and processing. In addition, the agency has a world renowned project management practice, develops and supports web applications and assists with application development. For more information, visit http://www.cio.ny.gov.