The 228 page federal Katrina report (3.2 Mb pdf) is out.
The full title is "The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned" :
http://www.whitehouse.gov/reports/katrina-lessons-learned.pdfFrom APPENDIX A – RECOMMENDATIONS
Critical Challenge: Communications
Lesson Learned: The Department of Homeland Security should review our current laws, policies, plans, and strategies relevant to communications. Upon the conclusion of this review, the Homeland Security Council, with support from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, should develop a National Emergency Communications Strategy that supports communications operability and interoperability.Recommendations:
33.
DHS should complete the review of National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) communications policy by April 30, 2006. As requested by the Homeland Security Council and the National Security Council, DHS should conduct this review to provide a preliminary strategic “plan for integrating communications for all levels of crisis in light of evolving threats and new and converging technologies, and for organizational and policy changes.” This review and resulting strategic plan will advance communications capability planning for the Nation’s response posture.
34.
HSC and OSTP should lead an interagency review of all current policies, laws, plans, and strategies that address communications and integrate them into a National Emergency Communications StrategyThe review should include:a. The development of an overarching National Emergency Communications Strategy should address a full range of hazards;
b. A national emergency communications strategy should consider the direction of the telecommunications industry and supporting recommendations of the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council;
c. State and local emergency prevention, preparedness, and response personnel must maximize the resources provided by, and implement the procedures contained in, the Homeland Security Grant Program;
d. Federal, State, and local entities should use the Target Capabilities List (TCL) as a reference to develop emergency communications strategies. The resulting strategies will enhance operability and support future interoperable emergency communications capabilities. State and local standards and performance measures for achieving for interoperability should be tied to Homeland Security Grant Program funding criteria;
e. By March 1, 2006, HSC and OSTP should organize an interagency group to begin the development of a national emergency communications strategy. An interim strategy, to be completed May 31, 2006, should provide sufficient guidance and direction to address the deficiencies identified in the Hurricane Katrina response.
35.
DHS should revise the NRP to conform to the new National Emergency Communications Strategy. The NRP should include sufficient guidance on communications operations when responding to a disaster. This guidance should address the full spectrum of possible effects to the Nation’s communications system from disasters and detail the required responses. It should also ensure that response operations employ all available communications assets to support operability and interoperability. The following areas should be addressed as part of the revision of the NRP:
a. Communications procedures and guidelines need to be defined, implemented, and practiced through simulations and exercises. Measurement of progress to increase overall crisis communications capability will be graded against the President’s Management Agenda criteria;
b. Updated communications guidance must also emphasize the ability of emergency responders and private security officials to share information and use available communication systems to connect with authorities at all levels of government. Planning needs to cover not only system connectivity, but also operating practices, business processes, and initial data sets to make the system work;
c. The NRP’s ESF-2 must direct the integration of all available Federal, State, local, and private communications assets. The full integration of communications capability requires an assessment of Federal assets and an inventory of available capability. During emergencies, ESF-2 must have the authority to implement, resource, and restore communications;
d. State and local first responders must satisfy the requirements of the Target Capabilities List, in order to receive Federal funding.
36.
DHS should develop and maintain a national crisis communication system to support information exchange from the President, across the Federal government, and down to the State level.37.
DHS should establish and maintain a deployable communications capability, to quickly gain and retain situational awareness when responding to catastrophic incidents. To restore operability and achieve interoperability, there is a strong need for rapidly deployable, interoperable, commercial, off-the-shelf equipment that can provide a framework for connectivity among Federal, State, and local authorities. A deployable capability to “reach-back” to “large headquarters units capable of providing superior support to deployed elements from their home stations where they have better facilities, resources and access to information,” can achieve initial operability. This transformational capability should ensure decision makers at all levels of government have accurate and complete data to assess courses of action. Inadequate situational awareness during the response to Hurricane Katrina resulted in decision makers relying on incorrect and incomplete information. DHS progress in this regard is essential to ensure adequate situational awareness. It must therefore set measurable goals and use the President’s Management Agenda initiatives to encourage progress and accountability toward achieving them. Available technologies can provide short-term operability and support long-term interoperability for emergency responders. However, to keep pace with technology changes, DHS should consider commercial, off-the-shelf solutions.
