Month: July 2021

Montgomery County Collaborates on small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

Montgomery County Collaborates on small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)

In 2018, the Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System Steering Committee identified small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) as a funding priority for capability development. To achieve this capability for the public safety agencies in Montgomery County, Maryland, a workgroup was established consisting of representatives from the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS), and the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (OEMHS). This provided collaboration opportunities for policy development, equipment specification, and the coordination of future training.

MCPD was the first agency to work through internal processes to implement a policy and achieve the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) approval to purchase equipment: a required step for the purchase of any sUAS utilizing federal grant funds. Following approval of the policy, the department purchased various equipment and began its program.

 

The group continued to gain momentum in 2020, with MCFRS and OEMHS gaining FEMA approval. Both agencies then began the process of procuring equipment. All three agencies are actively crafting and implementing training programs to operationalize sUAS operations for emergency response throughout Montgomery County.

 

To add to the complexity of this project, a majority of Montgomery County falls within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) around Washington, D.C. The public safety agencies within this zone must work with the FAA to obtain waivers that allow them to operate sUAS within this airspace. To date, MCPD has already received a waiver, leading the way for other agencies within their jurisdiction.

 

As of Spring 2021, all three agencies are now working with the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), a federal entity headquartered in Montgomery County. NIST personnel have been collaborating with public safety agencies nationwide to assist with training and mobilization of sUAS programs. Specifically, NIST provides a scalable, quantifiable framework for operator training, which the agencies are working to implement as part of their pilot training programs.

The National Capital Region Homeland Security Enterprise Coordination Structure

Introduction

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a non-profit organization that is designed to facilitate collaboration and coordination across the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding areas. The membership includes the governments of 24 cities and counties; the State of Maryland, Commonwealth of Virginia, and District of Columbia; and the federal government.

Given the NCR’s population, threat profile, and complexity, there is a need for regional collaboration for emergency response and public safety. This coordination is supported by MWCOG’s Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety (DHSPS). DHSPS has a full-time staff that supports groups of subject matter experts and public safety leaders from MWCOG member jurisdictions who come together to prepare for routine and large-scale emergencies. These leaders organize through a system of committees and boards.

Regional Emergency Support Function (RESF) Committees

The general approach to coordination across the region is bringing together the leaders of specific disciplines from across the NCR. These groups are organized based on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Response Framework (NRF) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). The Emergency Support Functions (ESF) group together resources and capabilities based on functional areas and disciplines. These ESFs focus on a single discipline but bring together many jurisdictions and organizations responsible for providing that service. In the NCR, the active RESF committees consist of the following:

  • RESF-1: Transportation
  • RESF-2: Communications, Information Technology
  • RESF-4/9/10: Firefighting, Search and Rescue, Hazardous Materials
  • RESF-5: Emergency Management
  • RESF-6: Mass Care, Emergency Assistance, Human Services
  • RESF-8: Public Health and Medical Services
  • RESF-13: Law Enforcement, Public Safety and Security
  • RESF-15: Public Information, External Affairs

Regional Emergency Support Function (RESF) Subcommittees

Each of the aforementioned RESF Committees is supported by numerous subcommittees. These subcommittees, which are comprised of subject matter experts and leaders within the discipline, focus on a specific topic, task, specialty, or capability within the discipline. As an example, RESF-4/9/10, which is also known as the Fire Chiefs Committee, is supported by subcommittees that include:

  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Fire Health and Safety
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Passenger Rail Safety
  • Technical Rescue

Regional Programmatic Working Groups

Many of the NCR’s public safety responsibilities transcend any single discipline. For these capabilities, it is necessary to bring together a diverse set of subject matter experts from a number of different fields to address the issue. Regional Programmatic Working Groups (RPWGs) are designed to be cross-disciplinary and cross-jurisdictional. Examples of NCR RPWGs include:

  • Health and Medical
  • Cyber Security
  • Situational Awareness
  • Complex Coordinated Attack

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council is a group that is tasked with collecting input across the RESF and RPWG groups, and making recommendations to the Homeland Security Executive Committee (HSEC) on issues of policy and funding. Each RESF has representation on the Advisory Council, which is appointed by membership of the respective RESF. The Advisory Council is charged with carrying out the strategic direction of the HSEC, while maintaining a feedback loop from the entire community of RESF and RPWG committees. The Advisory Council is expected to develop comprehensive solutions that complement the mission space of all disciplines and jurisdictions, while deconflicting the differing priorities across these groups.

Homeland Security Executive Committee

The Homeland Security Executive Committee (HSEC) is the policy making body of the NCR public safety community. The group is comprised of senior leadership from each of the core member jurisdictions. This includes Chief Administrative Officers (CAO) or Deputy Chief Administrative Officers (DCAO) for public safety and homeland security in the counties and cities of the NCR; the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia state directors for emergency management and homeland security; and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of National Capital Region Coordination (ONCRC). The group’s mission is to help NCR jurisdictions prevent, protect against, and respond to all-hazards, public safety, and homeland security events that require regional coordination. The group establishes a shared regional vision and strategic direction based on unmet needs found in capability and risk assessments. It allocates personnel to serve on the RESFs and RPWGs to carry out the direction of the group. Through the Advisory Council, the body receives recommendations for public safety enhancements, which can lead to policy changes and funding investment. The group is the designated Urban Area Working Group (UAWG), which is ultimately responsible for the distribution of the Urban Area Security Initiative grant (UASI) for the NCR. This multi-million-dollar grant is used to support capability development and expansion throughout the NCR in accordance with the strategic vision of the HSEC.