Chertoff calls for total interoperability | 11.29.2006 | 06:22:05 | Views: 5434 | ID: November 29 '06: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Tuesday that his agency will work to help all highest-risk urban areas comply with an interoperable mandate to make all agencies able to communicate with each other, GovExec reported Tuesday. DHS wants complete interoperability for 2008. "Chertoff laid out these ambitious goals amid growing frustration on Capitol Hill that his department has not done enough to get state and local governments to achieve interoperability ... Chertoff told a conference of emergency response officials that metropolitan regions under department's Urban Areas Security Initiative grant program," GovExec continued. According to Newsday, Chertoff said, "The bottom line is we have to able to communicate during a disaster. ... We're going to get it done." Newsday continued: "The secretary said public scorecards would be issued in the next few weeks to the highest-risk cities - including Boston, Houston and Chicago - to help them prioritize needed improvements. The focus, he said, would be regional because 'threats are region-based'." "Chertoff added that Homeland Security would complete a survey by the end of 2006 asking all 50 staets and the 75 largest urban areas what kind of interoperability gaps they have. He said the results would allow the department to give Congress 'a much more specific answer about what funding needs are required,'" GovExec reported.
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