Streamlining Emergency Response Through Better Data Integration: A Process Analysis of Public Safety Workflows

(May 2022)  In June 2020, iCERT launched the Data Integration Initiative (DII) in response to the multiple variables mentioned above.  The DII was designed to perform a current-to-future state process analysis of public safety data workflows to identify areas in which true end-to-end dataflows can be used to improve public safety response. While the working groups have not created a complete end-to-end process analysis, they have made headway at identifying areas that will need further development and work in this Phase One Report.

 

By laying the groundwork for achieving a better understanding of data integration in public safety emergency response workflows, the DII has enabled further research into this critical topic. Only by identifying what is required to improve data integration, what role data value can play in prioritizing integrations, and exploring innovative future-state disruptive technologies can we achieve a more effective public safety response.

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iCERT Policy Position on Standards for Next Generation 911

(January 2022) iCERT is committed to advancing technological innovation in a way that enhances public safety, improves interoperability, and promotes competition.  One way we seek to achieve that goal is to support the development and implementation of open standards.  Open standards are especially important for Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1), as these systems must interoperate in an environment that includes a variety of government agencies and private sector entities.

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White Paper on NG911 Core Services: Standards and Architectures

(January 2022)

 

Cybersecurity Catalog 

(June 23, 2021)  This catalog was created by the iCERT Cybersecurity Working Group as a resource to the iCERT membership and the public safety community. The table below highlights valuable content created outside of iCERT but relevant to iCERT members and their customers. One of the intents of the Cybersecurity Working Group is to continually assess third party cybersecurity content to validate its usefulness to our constituents and update this document accordingly. We welcome all suggestions for additional content to be assessed.

 

Public Safety Grade Data Centers Evaluation Guidelines Series; Step 2 - Rising of the Cloud

(February 2020) This iCERT Cloud Working Group Paper takes the second step in the process and examines infrastructure solutions that have been available to public safety using Tier III+ and IV level data centers. This paper also seeks to clarify the term “cloud” as it applies to public safety. It addresses some critical emergency response and public safety applications already deployed in the cloud, related public safety application trends (establishing a perspective for the future of cloud in public safety), and assesses trends in cloud computing. The paper covers the considerations necessary to build a Tier IV (Tier III+) solution in the cloud and explains approaches to cloud security, reliability, and availability that are requisite considerations for using cloud services. It also addresses the risks and limitations of deploying solutions into the cloud, demonstrating the care required in constructing a public safety grade cloud solution.

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White Paper - The Critical Role of Testing to Achieve and Maintain NG911 Standards Conformance and Interoperability

(October 24, 2019) iCERT Conformance Working Group

Next Generation 911 (NG911) is no longer a dream but quickly becoming a reality. Governmental bodies, standards bodies, service providers, and vendors are all moving to implement NG911. While there are several opinions for how this will occur, all agree that significant testing is required to ensure all the elements within an NG911 system and between NG911 systems, work together as intended. But exactly what testing is necessary? What testing is required to ensure a sufficient level of confidence by the public safety community in the solutions being deployed? iCERT has developed this white paper to answer these and similar questions. The objectives of this white paper are to:
1. Highlight the role of standards in NG911 testing;
2. Define the types of testing that should be considered; and
3. Identify the challenges of Interoperability testing.

 

Public Safety Grade Data Centers Evaluation Guidelines Series  - Step 1 - Data Center Evaluation in an Era of Industry Disruption  (June 25, 2019)

This Cloud Working Group paper provides a suggested framework for evaluating the choice between a local
on-premises data center facility, or a remote data center (hosted or cloud), based on two criteria: reliability and security. Working from a foundation of these criteria offers public safety
agencies a simple method of evaluating a data center to determine its adherence to public safety grade infrastructure regardless of whether it is modeled on cloud computing, remotely hosted, or an on-premises solution.

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Recommended Best Practices for Supplemental 9-1-1 Location Data (February 20, 2019)

This document was developed by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA), and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT), in cooperation with the National 9-1-1 Program.  It is designed to establish guidance on the potential use by the nation’s Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of 9-1-1 location data provided outside of the traditional process used by wireless carriers. The potential use of such “supplemental 9-1-1 location data” in addition to data provided by the carriers may assist in locating 9-1-1 callers quickly and accurately. This document describes recommended best practices for how such data should be provided to and used by PSAPs.