SAFECOM, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's premier public safety communications advisory council, is made-up of public safety stakeholders with a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds.
Major Darryl Anderson, of Stark County Sheriff's Office, offered to share some of his insights about SAFECOM and the direction of the public safety communications community.
Immediately prior to that assignment, he was in charge of the Office of Technology, where he served as one of the primary architects of what would become the Ohio Multiple Agency Radio Communications System.
Stark/MARCS now supports virtually all Stark County first responders with countywide in-building coverage, ensuring seamless interoperability for all emergency personnel.
Sheriff Maier presented Major Anderson with the 2022 George Papodopulos award for his diligent work with the Stark/MARCS system, the recently activated Jail Management System, and his continuous work on the countywide law enforcement Records Management System.
In the role, I routinely and continuously interacted with SAFECOM members and became keenly aware of the benefits of SAFECOM's collective wisdom as we move forward with Public Safety Mission Critical Communications.
Admiral Hewitt approached me and asked me to join SAFECOM as a Member-at-Large.
Answer: I am on the Funding and Sustainment Committee and know full well the importance of both initial funding of communications projects, and even more important the continued funding of systems once in place.
I firmly believe one of the huge benefits of SAFECOM is the ongoing communications best practices SAFECOM provides.
SAFECOM provides ongoing guidance for communication leaders nationwide.
The perusal of the SAFECOM website will assist the inquirer to find the proper resources needed to solve challenges many face for the first time.
Every time I have approached CISA, as either a practitioner or a SAFECOM member, with an issue I needed help with, I came away with solid potential solutions and/or individual contacts.
CISA: Tell us about your experience working in the public safety community.
Today, if our deputy's' radio does not affiliate with their backbone system, it is cause for great alarm.
Real-time viewing of officer's in-car and bodycams will allow for great officer safety and support.
Answer: By staying involved in what is developing nationwide, by networking with both SAFECOM membership and National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators membership, we all benefit when we implement new ideas and best practices mined through these networking opportunities.
Answer: As previously mentioned, NG-911 will provide both the dispatch centers and the on-scene first responder with more real time information.
CISA: SAFECOM strives to be an active partner to the public safety community at the federal, state.
Answer: In addition to bringing back and implementing best practices at our countywide level, I continue to be active in both the Ohio SIEC and our 12-county regional interoperability committee, and share knowledge gained in SAFECOM at both of these levels.
In closing, CISA's ongoing, unflagging support of SAFECOM has made the progress in the public safety mission critical communication move ahead exponentially since 2001.
This Cyber News was published on www.cisa.gov. Publication date: Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:13:05 +0000