Peter S. Anderson Simon Fraser University Vancouver, Canada anderson@sfu

Building Emergency Lanes Along Building Emergency Lanes Along Information Highways and Skyways:Information Highways and Skyways:

Prospects and Challenges for Canada’s Prospects and Challenges for Canada’s New Critical InfrastructuresNew Critical Infrastructures

Peter S. AndersonSimon Fraser University

Vancouver, Canada

[email protected]

SFU Research BackgroundSFU Research Background

Applied Research• Emergency Preparedness Information Exchange (EPIX)

• Virtual Emergency Management Information Systems

Policy Research• Telecommunications, broadcasting, information policy studies• Emergency communications – critical infrastructure, interoperability,

vulnerability, needs evaluations, regulation, industry & end-user interaction

Applied ResearchApplied Research

EPIXEPIX

EPIX Supported ProjectsEPIX Supported Projects

Initiating and hosting WWW sites for:Federal Government

• Emergency Preparedness Canada

• Industry Canada - Emergency Telecommunications Branch

• Transport Canada Aviation Safety - Pacific Region

Provincial Governments

• BC Provincial Emergency Program

• BC Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security (Emergency Social Services)

• Ontario Emergency Measures Organization

EPIX Supported ProjectsEPIX Supported Projects

Initiating and hosting WWW sites for:Public/Private Partnership Programs

• Major Industrial Accidents Council of Canada

• Safeguard

• Emergency Preparedness for Industry and Commerce Council of British Columbia

Volunteer NGO Programs

• Emergency Planners and Managers Association of British Columbia

• Emergency Social Services Association of British Columbia

• SAR Info (Search and Rescue)

EPIX Supported ProjectsEPIX Supported ProjectsHosting WWW sites for:International Programs• UN IDNDR • UN ISDR• NATO Civil Protection Committee

Hosting Email Discussion Groups• Networks in Emergency Management

[email protected]• Emergency Planning for Post-secondary Educational Institutions

[email protected]• US National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue• Canadian National Hazards Assessment

[email protected]

EPIX Supported ProjectsEPIX Supported Projects Emergency SupportEmergency Support

• 1993 - present - Internet gateway/distribution of UN - OCHA disaster sitreps and appeals

• 1994 - Mirror site for California EDIS system during Northridge Earthquake relief and recovery operations

• 1997 - Manitoba Red River Floods - Internet site support for Emergency Preparedness Canada

• 1998 – Salmon Arm Wildland Fire - Internet site support for BC Provincial Emergency Program

• 1999 - British Columbia Floods - Internet site support for BC Provincial Emergency Program and emergency email distribution

Virtual Emergency Management Virtual Emergency Management Information SystemsInformation Systems

Objective: During crises - to enable emergency managers to

remain in critical decision-making processes regardless of physical location


• interconnecting local, provincial and federal government emergency operations centers and field sites through common TCP/IP infrastructure

• national and international collaboration by VPNs across the Internet

British Columbia Regional VEMIS Project

Pacific Region Federal Joint Alternate Site


Technology

• Integration of fixed and mobile wireless and wired systems

• Building on common infrastructure with focus on interoperability

• Using TCP/IP as common bridging protocols


Components

• Wired intra/internet systems

• Terrestrial wireless systems

• Satellite telecommunications


• 56 kbps UHF TCP/IP wireless system

• behaves like a slower speed version of standard Ethernet system used in most offices

Initial Wireless Internet Component1996 - Present


• supports point-to-point and multi-point networking over large geographical areas (e.g., 120-150 Km)

Initial Wireless Internet Component


MSATMSAT DirecPCDirecPC VSATVSAT

Other Interconnectable Wireless TechnologiesSatellite-based


Other Interconnectable Wireless TechnologiesTerrestrial

• Cellular/PCS

• HF packet radio gateway

• High speed spread spectrum radio

Other Related ActivitiesOther Related Activities

• Haughton-Mars99/2000 NASA Expeditions - applying disaster communications concepts to space travel


Phase Two

• Upgrading wireless backbone to highspeed4.5 Mbps -> 100 Mbps

• Establishing emergency satellite teleport with SFU to become an emergency ISP


High Speed Wireless Backbone

• Currently moving up to 30 Mbps

Emergency Emergency Satellite Teleport/PortalSatellite Teleport/PortalProposalProposal

• Establish a permanent emergency communication point-of-presence at SFU via satellite and terrestrial networks to support national and international humanitarian relief efforts

• SFU to be an emergency Internet Service Provider

SFU ResourcesSFU Resources

Satellite Capacity• C and Ku Band ground stations

• Potential connectivity:– throughout North, Central

and South America

– Pacific Region

• Direct interconnection to Ca*Net 3 national high speed backbone

INTELSAT

TELESAT

Coverage ExamplesCoverage Examples

Participating OrganizationsParticipating Organizations

Simon Fraser University• Telematics Research

Lab

• PolyLAB

• Computing Services

Discovery Parks Inc.

Wi-LAN Inc.

Industry Canada• Communications

Research Centre

• Pacific Region – Emergency Telecommunications

Emergency PreparednessCanada

Policy ResearchPolicy Research

Cellular Telephone UsageCellular Telephone UsageWithin the Canadian Emergency Within the Canadian Emergency

Management CommunityManagement Community

Importance of Communication Importance of Communication During EmergenciesDuring Emergencies

Emergency Management Community Emergency Management Community

Can include virtually any organization or individual that might be required to respond to a large-scale emergency or disaster.

Importance of Wireless Importance of Wireless TelecommunicationsTelecommunications

Cellular Telephone UseCellular Telephone UseDuring EmergenciesDuring Emergencies

Contributing factors• Interoperability problems among emergency

management organizations• Insufficient backup communications• Portability and convenience of cellular usage on a day-

to-day non-emergency basis• Cellular systems often now more advanced than

agencies’ own systems (connection to PSTN, data and text messaging services, etc.)

• Cost

Cellular Emergency Cellular Emergency Usage IssuesUsage Issues

• Coverage• Compatibility – varying standards• Privacy• Accessibility and Congestion

– Cell systems generally not designed or scaled for large scale emergency use

– Most don’t have priority access provisioning enabled

Cellular Emergency Usage IssuesCellular Emergency Usage Issues

Other factors affecting availability• Particular configuration of the actual site (no. of

channels, mixture of analogue and digital services, etc.)

• End-user calling habits (media use, fax centres at EOCs, etc.)

• Sheer numbers of essential users competing for scarce channels

Cellular Vulnerability IssuesCellular Vulnerability Issues

• Emergency power• MTSO structures/cell site locations/support systems • Seismic performance of trunk cables• Concentration of facilities and lack of route

diversity – single points of failure due to co-location• Disaster response plans• Availability of documentation - timely access to

sites for servicing - access to spare parts

Cellular Industry IssuesCellular Industry Issues

• New competitors may not be familiar with emergency management community requirements

• Network design and implementation driven by costs, sometimes inhibiting mitigation practices

• Carriers often cannot build optimum sites because of natural geography, land use restrictions, etc.

• Data versus voice

Cellular End-user IssuesCellular End-user Issues

• Expectations of availability during emergencies

• General knowledge of cellular systems

• Educating public about use during major emergencies

Cellular Policy IssuesCellular Policy Issues

• Many countries are forbearing from regulating cellular services• New competitors may not have to meet same quality of service

standards as incumbent carriers• Cellular carriers may never have been regulated at all for

emergency telecommunications provisioning• Responsibility for emergency telecommunications arrangements

shifting to end-users• Many countries may not have an emergency

telecommunications policy framework

Cellular Priority Access IssuesCellular Priority Access Issues

• Who sets eligibility criteria?• Can PA arrangements be standardized?• Who has authority to invoke priority access?• Where is operations control of local networks located?• How can domestic and international roaming

agreements be factored into PA arrangements?• What is or should be the liability of carriers?• Who should pay the associated costs?

Emerging IssuesEmerging Issues • Can or should additional spectrum be reserved or set aside

specifically for interagency emergency telecommunications interoperability?

• What regulatory regime best suits emergency telecommunications requirements?

• How can emergency telecommunications requirements be better integrated into existing policy frameworks?

• How can domestic policies, regulations and standards remain compatible with evolving international practices?

• What are the best forums for stakeholder consultation, interaction and consensus building?

Examples of Emergency Examples of Emergency Telecommunications ForumsTelecommunications Forums

CanadaIndustry Canada – Emergency Telecommunications• National Priority Access to Dialing Program (PAD)• Cellular Priority Access• National and Regional Emergency Telecommunications CommitteesIndustry -• Canadian Telecommunications Emergency Planning Association• Canadian Wireless Telecommunications AssociationUsers –• Association of Public Safety Communications Officials of Canada

Examples of Emergency Examples of Emergency Telecommunications ForumsTelecommunications Forums

International• UN Working Group on Emergency

Telecommunications• NATO Civil Communications Planning

Committee• ITU

How Communities Can Help the How Communities Can Help the Telecommunications IndustryTelecommunications Industry

Before Events• Hazard mapping & vulnerability assessment of

critical telecommunications infrastructure• Identification of critical facilities and services

requiring telecommunications support (including community gathering points)

• Site selection/approval & fortification (e.g., flood proofing)

How Communities Can Help the How Communities Can Help the Telecommunications IndustryTelecommunications Industry

During/After Events• Damage assessment information and

prioritization of community recovery needs• Priority site access and transportation

arrangements for inspection and restoration of services

• Future community development plans

World Wide Web SourcesWorld Wide Web Sources

http://spectrum.ic.gc.ca/urgent

http://www.reliefweb.int/telecoms/intro/wget.html

Peter S. Anderson Simon Fraser University Vancouver, Canada anderson@sfu

Documents

emergency managers

emergency lanes

information highways

projectshosting www

field sites

internet gatewaydistribution

common infrastructure

appeals1994 mirror site