DUPAGE COUNTY ARES TRAINING NET
TRAINING TOPIC 37
December 1, 2009
What is the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Emergency Communication?
The ability to provide effective and efficient emergency communications is the fundamental
purpose of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). At the national level, responsibility
for emergency communications rests with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of
Emergency Communications.
Tonight’s training topic, then, addresses the question, what is the Department of Homeland
Security’s Office of Emergency Communications?
“The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) supports the Secretary of Homeland Security
in developing, implementing, and coordinating interoperable and operable communications for
the emergency response community at all levels of government.
Mission
The mission of the Office of Emergency Communications is to support and promote the ability of
emergency responders and government officials to continue to communicate in the event of
natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters, and work to ensure,
accelerate, and attain interoperable and operable emergency communications nationwide.
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Brief History
Congress established OEC in response to the communications challenges resulting from
Hurricane Katrina through the Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Act. Opening its doors on April
1, 2007, OEC is the newest office within the Department of Homeland Security's Office of
Cybersecurity and Communications within the National Protection and Programs Directorate.
Initiatives
As the federal focal point for emergency communications, OEC seeks to drive change in five
primary areas related to emergency communications.
Policy and Planning
OEC works collaboratively to establish nationwide policy regarding emergency communications
and monitor and evaluate progress against the requirements outlined by Congress.
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National Emergency Communications Plan
Statewide Communications Interoperability Plans
National Communications Capabilities Report
Coordination and Collaboration
OEC is a stakeholder-driven organization, focused on ensuring that federal, state, local, tribal,
and territorial stakeholders have a mechanism for sharing information and providing valuable
input to shape national policy as well as OEC's programmatic activities.
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SAFECOM Executive Committee and Emergency Response Council
Emergency Communications Preparedness Center
Federal Partnership for Interoperable Communications
Statewide Interoperability Coordinators
Metropolitan Area Working Group
Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Groups
Demonstration Projects
Demonstration projects focus on investing small funding amounts in areas with a high
probability of producing repeatable solutions. These include standard operating procedures,
best practices, and lessons learned that OEC may disseminate nationally either through
technical assistance or other mechanisms.
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Shared Infrastructure Initiatives
Border Interoperability Demonstration Project
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Grants
OEC coordinates interoperable emergency communications grant guidance across all federal
programs. OEC works closely with FEMA to collectively maximize the impact of federal
resources.
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Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program
Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance OEC provides direct support to federal, state, local and tribal agencies
through the development and delivery of training, tools, and onsite assistance.
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Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP)
Shared Infrastructure Projects
Communications Unit Leader (COML) Training
Guidance Documents
2010 Olympics Security Committee”1
As emcomm volunteers, it is important that our own mission be consistent with those initiatives
which were promulgated by both the federal, state and local governmental levels. Doing so will
increase our ability to be integrated into these governmental strategies.
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http://www.dhs.gov
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