Standard Operating Procedures

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Standard Operating Procedures
COPS 2007 Technology Program Advanced Training
Workshops
Jim Reutlinger Public Safety Technology
Specialist SEARCH
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Standard Operating Procedures

• The devil is in
• the details!
• Even the grandest project depends on
• the success of the smallest components
• Policies and procedures are a key component

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• What are policies and procedures
• Formalized interagency agreements on how a system
  will be maintained and used

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• Why do we develop them
• Compliance
• Operational needs
• Manage risks
• Continuous improvement
• Policies and procedures establish how technology
  is to be used

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• Who is responsible for developing
• them
• The system Governance Board
• Approves acceptable policies and procedures
• Developed by User and Technical Committees in a
  multi-agency system environment

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• When should they be developed
• Starting early in the project and carried on
  through a process of continuous improvements
  after implementation

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Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies
and Procedures

• Interoperable standard operating procedures
  (SOPs) require
• A Project Foundation
• Key elements
• An Executive Sponsor who
• is educated about the need for partnerwide
  interoperability SOP
• understands the associated costs/recurring budget
  items
• believes in ongoing training and exercises

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Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies
and Procedures

• A Project Foundation (continued)
• Build SOPs around the business case to include
• Radio/data communications issues
• Equipment budget issues
• Personnel training and exercises
• Equipment/software use/ maintenance

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Interoperability OperationsDeveloping Policies
and Procedures

• A Project Foundation (continued)
• Create an SOP committee or sub-committee under
  Operations User Group
• Committee should reflect makeup of participating
  disciplines (Police Fire EMS)
• Use existing regional task forces or advocacy
  group if in place

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• The best technology and infrastructure cannot
  make up for a poor or nonexistent set of
  instructions on how to use it

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Focus SOP Development onRoutine Capabilities

• Policies and procedures for communications
  systems provide for agencies day-to-day
  operational needs
• During the stress of emergencies responders will
  likely perform the procedures they have learned
  and used daily
• Interagency communications procedures are only
  effective if used. They are most likely to be
  used if they are part of daily routine or
  practice
• Provide key term definitions to reduce confusion

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Look for Regular Behaviors

• Lay the groundwork for automatic behaviors during
  emergencies by establishing routine interagency
  procedures
• Make cheat sheets for easy reference
• Practice them during training and exercises
• Include a clear and concise header block to
  ensure a procedure communicates the purpose and
  scope
• Make clear assignment of responsibilities that
  identifies who does what and when

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Developing Policies and Procedures
What to Include in Your SOP Development

• References to related documents to improve
  usability
• Listing of applicable laws or regulations to
  communicate compliance
• Keep a detailed list of revisions to track edit
  history
• Develop forms to ensure proper control and record
  keeping

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures

• Creating Operational Policies
• and Procedures
• The Technical and User Committees of the
  governing body are commonly tasked with
  responsibility to
• Create the SOPs
• Carry them through approval and adoption
• Maintain them over time

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• Kinds of Policies to Consider for
  Interoperability Systems
• ICS Communications Unit (NIMS)
• Incident Dispatch Teams (Tactical Dispatch)
• Emergency Traffic (How to handle)
• Channel Span of Control (Off-loading busy
  channels)
• Standard Plain Language (Drop the use of codes)
• Operational Unit Reporting (Standardized
  reporting)

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• Creating Operational Policies
• and Procedures
• The Incident Communications Plan
• SOPs drive the development of the Incident
  Communications Plan
• The plan is specific to an incident due to its
  unique geographic location the type of operations
  undertaken
• The ICS 205 Template identifies communications
  resources for the incident
• Functional assignments
• Technical parameters

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures

• The diagram depicts a realistic organizational
  chart identifying responders to a hypothetical
  event by their function. What is this structure
  called

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures
Interoperability Tech Guide Standard Template

• Establish and use a standard method. Example
• A purpose or objective statement
• A technical background statement describing
  capabilities and constraints under which the
  standard protocol or procedure is used
• An operational context statement addressing when
  it is appropriate
• A recommended protocol/standard statement
  addressing related criteria that qualify use of
  the one being established
• The recommended procedure itself describing how
  the task is performed
• A management statement describing who is
  responsible for supervising or managing this
  procedure

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• Establish and Use
• a Standard Process
• Policies and procedures governing interagency
  communications are crucial for interoperability
• Agencies that have adopted a standard method for
  their creation have found them easier to develop
  and maintain. An example comes from the one of
  the northern regionsMinneapolis-St. Paul
  Minnesota

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures
Shared Systems in the Twin Cities

• The Metropolitan Radio Board (MRB) of the
  Minneapolis-St. Paul Minnesota area oversees a
  radio system shared between many agencies
• The Board has used a standardized template and
  approach to create an extensive set of standards
  protocols and procedures
• Their document includes a template showing and
  describing seven elements

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures
Shared Systems in the Twin Cities

• A document title control and approvals block
• A purpose or objective statement
• A technical background statement describing
  capabilities and constraints under which the
  standard protocol or procedure is used
• An operational context statement addressing when
  it is appropriate to be used
• A recommended protocol/standard statement
  addressing any related criteria that state why a
  policy/procedure being is being established
• The recommended procedure itself describing how
  the task is performed including individual steps
  and locations of reference documents
• A management statement describing who is
  responsible for supervising or managing this
  procedure

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Create Technical Policies and
Procedures

• Following a standardized method you can create
  policies and procedures that both serve your
  systems and are manageable
• What kinds of SOPs will be needed
• Technical
• Operational

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Create Technical Policies and
Procedures Radio System

• Some of the more common ones include
• Equipment management and deployment
• Standard equipment configurations
• Maintenance of radio caches
• Gateway configuration maintenance deployment
  and use
• Outage responsibilities and standards for repairs
• Preventative maintenance

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Mission-critical Incident SOPS

• What do they involve
• PSAP EOC Incident Command Tactical Operations
• Suggested elements of the policy
• Multi-agency multi-discipline response
• Use of plain language
• NIMS/ICS

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Developing Policies and Procedures
Mission-critical Incident SOPS

• Use of unit identification
• Radio cache activation/deactivation
• PSAP management of gateway request
• Gateway activation
• Gateway deactivation

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Interoperability Operations Developing Policies
and Procedures

• What Does Success Look Like
• Region/Statewide SOP compatibility between
  jurisdictions disciplines and agencies
• Region/Statewide integration between
  jurisdictions agencies and disciplines

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SAFECOM Continuum
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SAFECOMKey Drivers for Progression Along
Continuum

• Leadership commitment to achieve interoperability
• Leadership support for collaboration across
  disciplines
• Frequent usage of interoperability solutions
• Coordination across all disciplines (Governance
  Technology SOPs Training)

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SAFECOMLocal/Regional Interoperability SOPs

• Progression along the continuum is a
  corresponding process
• Example if you procure new equipment but have
  not developed procedures for its use you have
  not truly progressed along the continuum
• Local Agency Goal
• Regionwide SOP Integration based on NIMS between
  agencies and disciplines

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Developing Policies and Procedures

• What are you doing in the
• area of SOP development