NRICVI

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NRIC-VI Focus Group 1D Homeland Security -
Disaster Recovery/Mutual Aid
J. Tumolo September 13, 2002
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Focus Group 1D Homeland Security -
Disaster Recovery and Mutual Aid Co-Chairs
Joe Tumolo Gordon Barber
Verizon BellSouth Mission Prepare
and institute mechanisms for distributing
contact information for telecommunications
industry personnel essential to
telecommunication services restoration.
Report on the viability of past or
present mutual aid agreements and develop,
and report on, any additional perspectives
that may be appropriate to facilitate
effective telecommunications restorations.
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• Deliverables Institute mechanism for contact
• information for industry personnel to
• ensure effective communications
• during restoration.
• Information must be easily
• accessible and current
• Report on usefulness
  of Mutual Aid Agreements and additional
• efforts necessary to facilitate service
• restoration.

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Focus Group Members Representatives come
from - 29 Companies/Government entities
represented by 45 individuals with
approximately 900 years of collective
experience in the telecommunications
industry - 13 Business Segments - ILEC, IEC,
Cable, CLEC, Equipment Manufacturing,
Government, Industry Consulting/Services, ISP,
IT, Satellite, Software, Trade Associations
and Wireless - Diverse Companies - Range
from 5K to gt100K employees - Single State
Footprint to National/International Coverage
- New entrants to decades of service
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National Communications System (NCS) Mission
Assist the President, NSC, OSTP and OMB
In the exercise of the telecommunications
functions and responsibilities in wartime and
non-wartime emergencies In the coordination of
the planning for and provision of national
security and emergency preparedness
communications (NS/EP) for the Federal Government
under all circumstances, including crisis or
emergency, attack, recovery and
reconstitution. Bottom line Assure the
nations telecommunications backbone Telecommunic
ations "Any transmission, emission, or
reception of signs, signals, writing, images and
sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire,
radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems.
Source Telecom Glossary 2000 and Government
Convergence Task Force Report (2000) similarly
in 47Code of Federal Regulations (1997). National
Security Emergency Preparedness Capabilities to
maintain a state of readiness or to respond to
and manage any event or crisis (local, national,
or international) that causes or could cause
injury or harm to the population, damage to or
loss of property, or degrade or threaten the
national security or emergency preparedness
posture of the United States. Source Telecom
Glossary 2000
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NCS Critical Infrastructure Division
Mission Manage a unique industry-Government
partnership chartered to ensure the availability
of critical NS/EP telecommunications services
across the full spectrum of emergencies.
Emergencies include, but are not limited to,
conventional and terrorist attacks against the
United States, natural and man-made disasters,
and other crises.
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National Coordinating Center for
Telecommunications (NCC)
Mission Statement To assist in the initiation,
coordination, restoration, and reconstitution of
NS/EP telecommunications services or facilities
under all conditions, crises, or emergencies.
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NCC Membership
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Federal Response Plan Emergency Support Function
(ESF) 2

• Carried out by the National Coordinating Center
• (NCC) for Telecommunications
• NCC is staffed by representatives from the
  Federal
• Government and the Telecommunications Industry
• Assists in the initiation, coordination,
  restoration,
• and reconstitution of national
  security/emergency
• preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications services
• and facilities under crisis or emergency
  conditions

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Contact List

• Created simple template patterned after the FCC
  Data
• Collection Form distributed in early 2002
• Received 45 responses to date
• 5 additional responses on the way
• 4 companies havent responded
• The NCC will maintain the Contact List going
  forward
• and provide copies to the FCC
• DR/MA Focus Group Recommends
• Updates be provided as Names/Contact Information
  
• change
• Quarterly review of the contact information by
  the
• NCC and participating companies

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Mutual Aid Agreement

• The NCC was charged to update, publish and
  distribute the
• Mutual Aid and Restoration Compendium of
  Agreements
• by the Network Reliability Council in 1993
• There were four Agreements in place at the time
• The original Local Exchange Carrier Mutual Aid
  Agreement
• was signed in 1994 by the Bellcore Client
  Companies (BCC)
• - former RBOCs, Sprint, GTE, SNET and
  Cincinnati Bell -
• at the direction of the BCC NS/EP Committee
  

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Mutual Aid Agreement

• NCC reviewed existing Agreements in 1995 and
  determined
• There is extensive cooperation/coordination
  prior to and
• during disasters and/or emergencies
• Cooperative efforts have not ceased even though
  few
• formal agreements exist
• Orderly and prompt response to
  disasters/emergencies is
• dependent on good communications plans and
  procedures
• More timely and less costly to develop
  generic mutual aid
• procedures

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Mutual Aid Agreement Recommendations

• DR/MA Focus Group supports reuse of the1994
  Agreement
• DR/MA Focus Group created Novation Agreement
  that
• retains the intent of the original 1994 LEC
  Agreement
• 6 merged companies now represent the 18 original
  
• signatories
• 4 of the 6 companies have signed the Novation
  Agreement
• DR/MA Focus Group recommends posting an unsigned
  
• copy of the Mutual Aid Agreement on the NCC
  and NRIC
• websites for use by any two parties requiring
  an agreement

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Introduction of Best Practices

• Investigated existing Practices/Procedures
• General Services Administration (GSA)
  Continuity
• of Operations Plan 2000 Template
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  Standard
• 1600 - Disaster/Emergency Management and
  Business
• Continuity Programs
• Business Continuity Best Practices by Andrew
  Hiles,
• FBCI
• Focus Group has created sub-committees based on
• communities of interest to develop Best
  Practices
• Focus Group is currently predisposed to posting
  an
• outline or index to the NRIC website that
  contains items
• for consideration/inclusion in a BC/DR/EM Plan

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Issues

• First Responder status for telcom restoration
  teams
• Documented requirements (in advance of
  disaster) for
• access to disaster areas by communications
  personnel
• restoring service
• Focus Group participants are being inundated
  with
• requests for proprietary information regarding
  the
• physical security of critical assets - need
  Federal
• oversight coordination
• Determine if there is a need to expand focus to
  other utilities
• based on infrastructure interdependencies
• FCC allowance of exception to 272 separation
  requirements
• during periods of Natural Disaster
• Cost recovery procedures for implementation of
  Best
• Practices