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Session 4
Session Four: Technology Outreach
Centers In Support of Section 1401: Establishing Effective
Strategies to Close the Interoperability Gap between DoD and
First Responders
The first three
Technology Outreach Centers have been formed, and others are
being proposed, as a means to facilitate execution of Section
1401 of Public Law 107-314, the Bob Stump National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003. Section 1401 calls for a
senior official of the Department of Defense to coordinate all
DoD efforts to identify, evaluate, deploy and transfer to
federal, state and local first responders technology items and
equipment in support of homeland security. The Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security
Affairs (ASD(HD/ASA)), assigned this responsibility by The
Secretary of Defense, initiated a Technology Outreach Center
program to help close the interoperability gap between first
responders at all levels and the DoD.
Numerous
challenges face ASD(HD/ASA), these centers, and first responders
including:
·
Clarity of
Outreach Center mission and value proposition;
·
Effective
focus on the first responder;
·
Defining
and achieving sustainment models;
·
Funding for
Outreach Center operations;
·
Affordability and funding for first responders to use Outreach
Center assets;
·
Collaboration among centers, providers and users;
·
Sharing
lessons learned with other Agencies such as the Department of
Energy;
·
Strategy to
facility vertical and horizontal interoperability;
·
And,
communications.
The intent of this session is to
create a common understanding of the Section 1401 program intent
and the role of the Outreach Centers. It is then to compare and
contrast the views of each of these centers with each other, and
with ASD(HD/ASA) for the purpose of information sharing,
discovery, and if appropriate, an agreement to pursue
coordinated improvements to the program. Additional viewpoints
will be provided by the Department of Energy, from a
representative of the first responder community, and by an
industry representative. The take-away for the audience will be
a better understanding of the 1401 Technology Outreach Center
program, the roles each center plays, and the challenges and
opportunities presented as this concept evolves.
More Program
Information and Speaker List Coming Soon! |
