Critical Communications: Protecting the Public's Safety

In 1997, the US Departments of Justice and the Treasury enlisted Booz Allen for program management and technical support on a far-reaching effort to improve the nation's public safety wireless infrastructure. Known as the Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) Program, the initiative's goal is to improve interoperability among wireless systems used for public safety.

Ron Hodge, who leads Booz Allen's wireless services team, and Joe Sifer, the Booz Allen program manager for PSWN, share their thoughts on the program's progress to date.

IMPACT: Can you give some background on the problem?

RON: We've all seen in movies — when there are floods, fires, hurricanes, or other disasters — that police, fire departments, federal agencies, and other emergency personnel are able to communicate with each other instantaneously. They never lose time establishing a link. Even underground locations or long distances don't cause problems.

Real life is much different. Public safety agencies from different levels of government and disciplines are unable to communicate readily with one another — because they use different channels or rely on proprietary systems from different vendors, or because they lack funding for enhancements or political support for sharing resources.

Whatever the reasons, more often than not, public safety agencies cannot talk to one another, and this affects safety for all of us.

JOE: The most important assignment we had early on was to define the full extent of this interoperability problem. We helped our client identify and confirm the underlying issues facing the public safety community. Once we structured the problem, developing solutions became possible.

IMPACT: Why was defining the problem so important? Didn't you already know that the client needed interoperability?

JOE: Yes, we knew that as a general concept, but we needed answers to big questions to place the problem in proper perspective. Up to that point, only the needs of law enforcement were understood. So we did a national survey of the fire and emergency medical services communities to complete the picture.

At the same time, we estimated the value of the public safety radio infrastructure based on the cost to replace it in current dollars — and arrived at a figure of $18.3 billion, minimum. That's a powerful number and has been much quoted in the media and in the public safety community.

Analyses like these have helped position public safety communications systems as a critical national infrastructure — as vital to the country's economic and physical well being as our transportation system or the power grid.

IMPACT: You're 4 years into a 10-year project. What has been the firm's most significant contribution so far?

JOE: I'd say it's developing strategies and solutions that are now being implemented throughout the nation. We captured these in an interactive CD-ROM known as "Public Safety WINS" (for Wireless Interoperability National Strategy). WINS is the broad roadmap for addressing the nation's interoperability problem. It's a capstone product that reflects the solutions we've helped our client pioneer.

IMPACT: "What other progress has been made?

RON: PSWN has been one of the major players in spectrum regulatory reform. A large sector of the radio spectrum has been designated for public safety to improve interoperability. Also, a new classification of use, "co-equal access," has been defined to improve sharing among federal, state, and local organizations. Booz Allen played a critical role in bringing these changes about by helping our client navigate regulatory waters.

JOE: We've helped bring interoperability issues to national attention and positioned PSWN as the leader and a critical resource. We have also raised awareness about risks associated with interoperability, such as security. Working with the firm's national security team, we've developed guidelines and best practices to help minimize security risks associated with interoperability.

IMPACT: What are the current priorities?

JOE: We are concentrating on implementation of WINS, which includes pilot projects that serve as "living examples" of best practices. Each project was selected to address different challenges.

For example, in San Diego we developed a mobile solution well suited to a metropolitan area with mountainous outskirts. In El Paso and Las Cruces, we addressed the need to prevent exploitation of proprietary solutions by smugglers, drug traffickers, and others crossing the border illegally. In Montana, we helped agencies save money and improve the environment by consolidating a clutter of radio sites into a modern facility. In Vermont and New Hampshire, we are assisting with solutions to link large stretches of rural borders. In South Florida and Salt Lake City, we are helping with integration efforts in case of evacuation during natural disasters or providing public safety service for major events, such as the Olympics.

The program has also developed an interoperability index to gauge a particular state's status. Some states are mature and well established, thanks in part to previous help from PSWN. Others are not so far along, and PSWN will be helping them develop solutions.

IMPACT: What capabilities does Booz Allen bring to the table?

JOE: We assembled an integrated delivery team from across the business that provided everything from strategic planning "to program management, public policy development, spectrum management, network modeling, Web support, economic and business analysis, security services, and outreach and communications. And we have former "firefighters, policemen, and emergency services operators on staff to help ground our technical and management solutions with operational understanding.

RON: The program has benefited from our integrated delivery with teams across the firm and a strong partnership with our client. Interoperability is a complex issue. Our team and our client are committed to make a difference in a very real problem that touches our lives everyday.

story posted September 2001