The council proposes investments in public safety communication systems in the Governor's budget and coordinates activities among state, local, tribal, and federal entities to secure federal grants and technical assistance for interoperability initiatives.
Once the SCIP is developed, it is submitted to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to ensure it aligns with the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP).
The SIEC advises key stakeholders, including the Governor and Legislative Assembly, on implementing the interoperability plan and related strategies. The council is responsible for adopting necessary rules to carry out their duties and powers effectively.
This council serves to integrate communication systems seamlessly among Oregon's public safety agencies for efficient collaboration in routine operations and emergencies.
What is Interoperability:
"Interoperability" is the ability of emergency response agencies and relevant government officials to talk to one another via communication systems—to exchange voice and/or data with one another on demand, in real time, when needed, and as authorized. The foundation for interoperability, however, is basic communications within emergency response agencies—simple "operability." An agency’s first priority must be to provide emergency responders with functioning, agency-specific, mission-critical communications systems. As jurisdictions build new systems or upgrade existing ones, another priority is the provision of reliable and interoperable communications across disciplines, jurisdictions, and levels of government. Emergency response agencies require three distinct types of interoperability—day-to-day, mutual aid, and task force, as described below.
Vision:
The vision of the SIEC is seamless, interoperable1, and resilient emergency communications.
SIEC Goals and Objectives
- Advocate for the advancement of statewide interoperability of emergency communications systems
- Create a common understanding of emergency communications interoperability statewide.
- Coordinate with stakeholders to facilitate a common language, coordinated protocols, and related standards to ensure resonance.
- Develop standards to promote consistent design and development of public safety communications infrastructures and recommend changes in existing public safety infrastructures that are necessary or appropriate for implementation of the interoperability plan.
- Annually update and regularly monitor the Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP).
Priorities
The Governor's priorities for the SIEC are:
- Recommending strategies to improve Oregon’s wireless interoperability between public safety agencies communication systems.
- Determining standards to ensure consistent development of existing and future wireless communications infrastructure.
- Identifying immediate short-term technological and policy solutions that tie existing infrastructure together into an interoperable communication system.
- Developing long-term technical and policy recommendations to establish a statewide public safety radio backbone to improve emergency response and day-to-day public safety operations.
- Providing policy leadership in the development of legislation and state and local policies necessary to achieve wireless interoperability in Oregon.
The ability for all emergency responders to communicate across jurisdictions is vital to public safety. This includes the full-data ecosystem of radio, broadband and data. The SIEC continues to provide leadership and solutions as we put Oregon on a path to a fully interoperable statewide communications system.