Report on interoperable communications finds centralization | 04.21.2006 | 10:11:30 | Views: 5345 | ID: April 21 '06: A federal report released two days ago but published back in March by the Inspector General's Office at the Department of Homeland Security found that the standardization of communications for the first responder community in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security "has appropriately centralized the standards adoption process within S&T (Science and Technology Directorate), and has effectively partnered with Standards and Development Organizations (SDOs) and other external organizations to fulfill its standards adoption mission." Homeland Security Watch wrote about the findings in the Congressional report saying that six recommendations were made about how the department can improve standard-setting practices in order to facilitate communication among first responders. However there are some roadblocks for DHS "that affect S&T's ability to adopt and enforce equipment standards" which include a lack of adequate "performance measures to establish timelines for completion" of standardization processes; no authority on purchasing standardization equipment; inconsistently advising the Office of Domestic Preparedness in terms of standardization equipment; and no ability to "track the status of standards being considered for adoption," the report found. Six recommendations were given which were aimed "to improve the process for adopting and ensuring compliance with equipment and communication interoperability standards for first responders." Recommendations included interactive databases to synthesize information; adoption of a standard timelines and performance measures and make sure equipment being used by DHS complies with those guidelines.
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