Communications Interoperability Action Plan Tasks, Sub-Tasks and Deliverables 2013-2014
Communications Interoperability Action Plan Tasks, Sub-Tasks and Deliverables 2013-2014 PDF Version (449 KB)
ISBN: 978-1-100-22280-6
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The purpose of this Communications Interoperability Action Plan is to articulate the specific tasks assigned to each action item derived from the Communications Interoperability Strategy for Canada (CISC), including those items carried forward from the previous version of the 2012 Action Plan, the last Federal, Provincial, Territorial (F/P/T) Interoperability Sub-Working Group (IWG) meeting in Toronto, Ontario December 2012 and the Canadian Communications Interoperability Plan Working Group's last meeting in Windsor in September 2010. The Action Plan integrates related interoperability initiatives within the public safety community used in the compendium of day-to-day to extreme operations, thereby enhancing the safety of emergency personnel and improved efficacy for the emergency management community. Each designated task is assigned a coordinator, deliverable(s) and a prospective timeline.
The F/P/T IWG is based on the membership of F/P/T interoperability coordinators. In addition, there are representatives/liaisons from federal departments, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Emergency Medical Services Chiefs of Canada, the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group and non-voting members from other government departments, municipalities, academia and industry. Additional representation at meetings may be invited by the co-chairs to achieve a balanced representation of expertise and perspectives, in order to fully represent issues being discussed.
Members of the working group will provide the F/P/T IWG with a link to other F/P/T and international interoperability groups, act as a resource body to F/P/T agencies in their achievement of voice/data communications interoperability and provide policy and operational perspective to jurisdictional specific working groups on communications interoperability.
The mandate of the F/P/T IWG is to set goals and identify key national priorities to enhance governance, planning, technology, training and exercises to promote national and bilateral interoperable voice and data communications.
- Action items are directly linked to the Strategic Objectives laid out in the CISC:
- Governance: The development of supportive and responsive governance architecture at the national and bi-lateral level;
- Standard Operating Procedures: The development of harmonized standardized operational procedures, information exchange models and protocols;
- Technology: Promote and support the ongoing and future development of a national emergency communications based on common user requirements, open standards and a system of systems approach. Develop a public safety controlled mobile broadband communications network expected to operate in the 700 megahertz (MHz) band;
- Training and Exercises: The continued evolution of multi-faceted and cross-jurisdictional education, training, exercise and evaluation programs; and
- Usage: The daily use of present and future communication and information system(s) including all further development and evolution.
- The specific timelines established for each action item will be reviewed by the F/P/T IWG and approved by Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management (SOREM) during its cyclical review of the Action Plan. Any requirement for reprioritization will be addressed through SOREM and incorporated via the annual version of this evergreen process.
- The organization or agency initially identified as the coordinator for each action item is the primary or lead for that issue. Through discussion and approval via the F/P/T IWG, additional organizations have been identified as those who are in direct support to, or directly linked with, the specific item.
- This document guides the development of complimentary and supportive action plans for each of the identified action items. This concurrent planning activity will facilitate the coherency of multi-jurisdictional efforts in the move towards the desired interoperability end state.
- These action items complete with tasks, deliverables and timelines will be prioritized annually by the F/P/T IWG and subsequently approved by SOREM.
Action Items |
Task |
Sub-Task |
Coordinators |
Deliverable |
Tracked Source |
Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada Governance |
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| 1. Develop and share F/P/T Interoperability Plans & Roadmaps (3-5 years forecast on specific lines of operation/ development) | 1. Develop/refine P/T interoperability plan framework | a. Conduct interoperability self-assessment. Self-assessment should be reviewed and confirmed on a regular period | PS IDO/FPT IWG |
CCIP Goal 6 |
2013 |
|
| 2. Maintain proactive communication of interoperability and the Communications Interoperability Action Plan | 1. Develop strategic communication plan supportive of National Strategy | a. Develop strategic communications plan for: (1) Policy Makers and IM/IT practitioners (2) Decision makers (for voting WG representatives) (3) Public (4) Emergency Responders | PS IDO/CITIG |
A strategic communications plan that informs and educates senior F/P/T organizations, interested agencies and the public on issues of interoperability |
CCIP Goal 2 |
2013 |
| 3. Review and update the Communications Interoperability Strategy for Canada |
|
|
PS IDO/FPT IWG |
Communications Interoperability Strategy for 2014 approved by SOREM |
|
Dec 2014 |
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) |
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| 4. Shape common interoperability environment for voice and data communication |
|
a. Implement a Change Management Process (CMP) for Canadian Emergency Management Communications Specifications (CEMCS) | PS IDO / CSS |
Usage of the approved CMP to publish CAP-CP 1.0 . A web site will be established to house CAP-CP and other CEMCS documents managed under the CMP |
|
Oct 2013 |
Future Communication Systems |
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| 5. Develop a 700 MHz spectrum national implementation strategy and program for public safety use | 1. Develop the governance structure for the National Public Safety Broadband Network | Form a 5 person Governance Working Group |
FPT IWG |
Develop the Not-for-Profit Corporation framework |
700 MHz PMT and DRDC CSS Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP) |
Oct 2013 |
|
2. Develop the business case in support of the governance model | a. Develop the market sounding report |
FPT IWG / P3 Canada |
Business and funding model identified |
700 MHz PMT and DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Apr 2013 |
b. Develop the financial feasibility study |
FPT IWG / P3 Canada |
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|
3. Develop SOPs and Training | Develop a template for SOPs |
FPT IWG |
Exercise and SOPs framework distributed for implementation |
700 MHz PMT and DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Mar 2014 |
|
4. Establish a center to conduct tests, evaluations and research on communications technologies (e.g., CIRTEC, PSCR (Boulder, CO) | a. Develop national voice/data testing methods for use by F/P/T, interoperability community, including municipalities, industry and associations
|
DRDC CSS |
National communications testing modality that supports interoperability evaluation and validation |
DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Dec 2013 Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
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5. Define the National Public Safety Broadband Network architecture |
|
DRDC CSS |
Technical document detailing the network architecture incl the delineation between the national and regional levels |
DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Apr 2013 |
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6. Establish the network and information security requirements |
|
DRDC CSS |
Security framework to include a risks and threats assessment |
DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Oct 2013 |
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7. Establish a set of minimum interoperability standards |
|
DRDC CSS |
Minimum set of interoperability standards adopted |
DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Apr 2013 |
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8. Prepare the technical sections of the reference RFI |
|
DRDC CSS |
Technical RFI developed and published |
|
June 2013 |
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9. Establish pilot programs |
|
PS IDO (PMT) |
|
DRDC CSS' CSSP |
Oct 2013 |
| 6. Support national implementation of MASAS | 1. Operationalization of MASAS National Information Exchanges (MASAS-X) and transition to self-sustainable business model |
|
CSS/PS IDO |
|
CSS MASAS Operationalization Task Group |
2013 |
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2. Technical support to FPT and participating vendor system(s), basic tools and data aggregation (hub) architecture |
|
CSS |
|
CSS MASAS Development Task Group |
Mar 2013 |
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3. Define the national geographic information system and emergency management information sharing architecture |
|
CSS/PS IDO/NRCan |
Functional and interoperable geographic information system |
CSS MASAS Operationalization Task Group |
Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
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4. Produce the "as is" architecture that identifies those national information sharing tools that are currently operational and relevant to emergency management |
|
CSS/PS IDO |
|
CSS MASAS Operationalization Task Group |
Dec 2013 |
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5. Develop target architecture |
|
CSS |
|
CSS MASAS Operationalization Task Group |
Dec 2013 |
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6. Develop effective and scalable information exchange SOPs and best practices for local, regional, P/T emergency responder agencies | a. Identify communications interoperability best practices at the P/T level | CSS |
Compendium of information exchange SOPs and best practices for review and integration by stakeholders |
CCIP Goal 4 – CCIP Annex E Action Plan 6 CCIP Annex F Action Plan 7 – |
Ongoing |
|
7. Support development and implementation of an Operations Center Information Portal (OCIP) complete with integrated MASAS interface and accessible to all Canadian EM government agencies
|
|
GOC/CSS |
Operational OCIP |
|
Ongoing |
|
8. Establish a High Resilience Environment (HRE) for supporting critical-to-EM tools such as MASAS and OCIP. Accommodated in a government-owned and controlled high-resilience secure data center |
|
CSS technical coordination lead with initial partners from PS/GOC, HC, PWGSC, and NSS |
HRE at Shared Services Canada (site 1); Environment Canada Met Center (site 2); Simon Fraser University Network Center for Emergency Management Operations (site 3) |
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Site 1: Jan 2013 |
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9. Transition implementation to an operational capability of national decision supporting capabilities each with interoperable interface to MASAS:
- Long Range Weather Forecast |
|
CSS technical lead coordinator with following partners from: |
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|
Nov 2013 |
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10. Promote MASAS-X to regional F/T emergency management stakeholders through coordination with the Arctic Security Working Group (ASWG) and the Northern Communications and Information Systems Working Group (NCIS WG) | a. Identify opportunities to promote MASAS-X through emergency exercises including tabletop, functional and/or live exercises. |
NCIS WG Executive Committee / PS IDO |
NCIS WG to support through biannual meetings |
NCIS WG Portal |
Ongoing |
| 7. Support the adoption of data exchange standards/ models | 1. Educate stakeholders on the national and international data exchange standards |
|
PS CIOD |
|
PS |
Ongoing |
|
2. Advocacy of National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) | Advice, guidance, training and briefings about NIEM to the Canadian information sharing user community |
PS CIOD |
|
|
Ongoing |
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3. Support emergency management departments and agencies in the management and adoption of these standards |
|
PS CIOD |
|
PS |
Ongoing |
| 8. Support implementation of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) | 1. Support SOREM F/P/T Public Alerting Sub Working Group |
|
PS IDO/MB |
Chairing/Secretariat support for bimonthly meetings |
|
Ongoing |
|
2. Develop alert Common Look and Feel (CLF) guidelines |
|
MB/PS IDO |
CLF policy and requirements for the National Public Alerting System CSS Tiger Team CLF project technical recommendations – February 2013 |
|
Ongoing |
|
3. Expansion of public alerting to wireless devices
|
|
IC/CSS/PS IDO |
Workplan, reference model and technical specification for wireless alerting gateway. Includes a planning workshop with industry and FPT stakeholders in summer 2013. |
CSSP Wireless Public Alerting Project Number CSSP-2012-TI-1063 |
Ongoing 2012-2016
Jun 2013
|
|
|
|
|
Develop prototype wireless alerting gateway for NAAD System alert feed in 2013-15 (funding dependent). |
|
2013-2015
2014-2016 |
Social Media |
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| 9. Support development of social media activities related to emergency management | 1. Capture knowledge and best practices on social media for EM
|
a. Explore availability, and if nonexistent, plan and execute development of an online training module for EOCs and first responder agencies, on "Best Practices for Filtering and Exploiting SM Feeds for use in Decision-Supporting Environments” | PS/CSS/CITIG |
Tutorial module (~ 1 hour) to provide knowledge from experienced Social Media EM practitioner/organizers (Ushahidi, Crisis Commons etc) using professionally packaged multi-media format material delivered through a web site or packaged on a CD/USB Target audience: EOC and responder agency Social Media EM analysts |
|
Aug 2013 |
|
|
b. Identify public safety and EM open data resources from public, NGO, academic and private sector sources that can help Canadians better mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency incidents | PS IDO |
Research report that includes: a) inventory of public safety / EM open data sources; b) recommendations on an IT/IM approach to best aggregate this data for public consumption and to spur innovation with Web 2.0 and social media c) Three case studies on usage of social media for EM, at least one of which will focus on a cross-border emergency event |
|
Mar 2013 |
| 10. Host Second National Social Media for Emergency Management Workshop |
|
a. Take the results of the first national summit, combine its recommendations with the current Action Plan and bring together SMEM practitioners from across Canada to a hosted workshop. Workshop goal is to develop further action plan items for discussion at the 2013 SOREM IWG face to face meeting. | Yukon Government– Protective Services, CITIG and Canadian Red Cross |
Detailed Summit report containing clear next steps and tasks designed to further this Action Plan |
|
Nov 2013 |
Canada's Northern Strategy |
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| 11. Align Canada's Communications Interoperability Action Plan for Canada and Canada's Northern Strategy | 1. Coordinate with northern partners to ensure priorities are reflected in the Communications Interoperability Action Plan for Canada | a. Formalize linkages between the PS Arctic Regional Office, the Arctic Security Working Group, the Northern Communications Information Systems Working Group and the F/P/T IWG
|
PS Arctic Regional Office |
Provide northern voice on pan territorial communications realities and issues |
Portals |
Ongoing
Mar 2014
Ongoing |
Canada – United States Governance |
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| 12. Maintain bilateral governance protocols | 1. Identification (i.e., via a look-up table/ directory)and engagement of cross-border interoperability champions/groups (provincial/state/federal level) |
|
PS IDO/DHS OEC |
Named national champions for cross border interoperability |
Windsor Report Pt 8 |
2013 |
|
2. Province/State relationships to identify cross-border interoperability efforts |
|
PS IDO |
P/Ts to deliver information to the Canada-U.S. Communications Interoperability Work Plan |
CANUS CIWG Work Plan for 2012/2013 |
Ongoing |
Future Communication Systems |
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| 13. Enhance bilateral communications in the safety and security forums
|
1. Develop a stakeholder information and asset exchange matrix
|
|
PS IDO/DHS OEC |
CANUS border-related stakeholder information and asset inventory |
CANUS CIWG Work Plan |
Dec 2013 Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
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2. Begin formal identification of cross-border interoperability channels available border-wide
|
|
PS IDO/DHS OEC |
Compendium of available border voice/data channels |
CAN US CIWG Work Plan |
2012-Ongoing Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
|
3. Resolve restrictions that prohibit sharing of frequencies, personnel and resources across state, provincial, and national boundaries
|
|
(PS IDO & IC) /(DHS OEC & FAA) |
Operational freedom amongst CANUS safety and security practitioners |
CANUS CIWG Work Plan |
2012-Ongoing Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
Training and Exercises |
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| 14. Integration or Synchronization of education, training, and exercise plans
|
1. Develop an integrated training and exercise calendar involving communications (voice) interoperability at the F/P/T/M level
|
|
PS/CSS |
Calendar of educational opportunities, training activities, and exercise programs at the F/P/T/M level to allow stakeholders to maximize their preparedness and confirm required interoperability |
|
2013 Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
| 15. The establishment of common communications interoperability evaluation standards
|
1. Develop assessment and evaluation criteria for communication interoperability standards and SOPs
|
|
PS IDO/CSS/BC |
TOR and evaluation/assessment parameters for this capability |
CSS 700 MHz National Architecture Implementation Task Group |
2013 Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
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2. Develop assessment and evaluation plan templates for use at the F/P/T level
|
|
PS IDO/CSS/BC |
Assessment and Evaluation Methodology and Plan |
|
Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
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3. Implement assessment and evaluation program at F/P/T/M level
|
|
PS IDO/CSS/BC |
Baseline assessments at F/P/T level to validate SOPs, best practices, and provide observations and lessons learned emergency response community |
|
Carried over from 2012 Action Plan |
Completed 2012-2013 Action Items
Action Items |
Task |
Sub-Task |
Coordinators |
Deliverable |
Tracked Source |
Timeline |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada Governance |
|||||||
2) Maintain proactive communication of interoperability and the Communications Interoperability Action Plan |
b. Maintain a web presence for interoperability best practices and tools for data |
PS CIOD |
Collection of tools, white papers, architecture, artifacts and standards information |
Mar 2012 |
Complete –IDO SharePoint site |
||
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) |
|||||||
4) Shape common interoperability environment for voice and data communication |
|
Develop a Change Management Process (CMP) for Canadian Emergency Management Communications Specifications |
PS IDO / CSS |
A CMP process document that can be used to manage communication specifications of national interest, including CAP-CP |
|
Jun 2012 |
CSS funded Project launched with Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) to provide advice and serve as pseudo-auditor of first CMP usage with CAP-CP 1.0 and establishment of a GoCweb site to host CAP-CP / CEMCS documents. Next steps will be application of approved CMP for publication of CAP-CP 1.0. This will include a project with the Canadian General Standards Board serving as pseudo-auditor of this first usage of CMP, and advice on the establishment of a GoC website resource to host CAP-CP documents |
Future Communication Systems |
|||||||
5) Support national implementation of MASAS |
Develop effective and scalable information exchange SOPs and best practices for local, regional, P/T emergency responder agencies |
a) Identify communications interoperability best practices at the P/T level |
CSS |
Compendium of information exchange SOPs and best practices for review and integration by stakeholders |
CCIP Goal 4 – CCIP Annex E Action Plan 6 CCIP Annex F Action Plan 7 |
Aug 2012 |
Initial deliverables complete - CSS published a version 1.0 on MASAS site and were looking at an online forum for all stakeholders, including municipalities, to support |
Canada – United States Governance |
|||||||
9) Maintain bilateral governance protocols |
2. Implement bilateral interoperability mandate between Public Safety Canada and the Department of Homeland Security
|
|
PS/DHS |
Bi-lateral mandates that facilitate cross border operations |
Windsor Report Pt 3 |
2012-ongoing |
Complete – reflected in the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group Work Plan |
|
3. Develop MOU/MOA to eliminate legal impediments to cross-border sharing of communications and information |
|
PS/DHS
CSS/FEMA PS/FEMA |
A MOU/MOA that eliminates legal impediments that limits cross-border information sharing and communications |
Windsor Report Pt 10 CSS-MASAS National Implementation Team |
2012 Feb 2012 |
Complete – reflected in the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group Work Plan |
|
4. Develop bilateral interoperability protocols at CANUS, state/provincial levels
|
|
PS |
Compendium of interoperability procedures currently in between province/state and local/local use during all bilateral operations |
|
Dec 2012 |
|
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5. Draft model MOU for routine cross-border use of the licensed spectrum
|
|
PS/CSS & |
MOU that facilitates cross-border communications and information exchange |
CSS 700 MHz National Architecture Implementation Task Group |
2014 |
Complete – reflected in the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group Work Plan |
| 10. Establish CANUS Border Communication Procedures
|
1. Develop standardized bilateral communications SOPs for normal and disaster/emergency operations
|
|
CSS/PS IDO |
Flexible, robust and effective operating procedures that increases the efficacy of bilateral safety and security operations |
CSS 700 MHz National Architecture Implementation Task Group |
Dec 2012 |
Complete – reflected in the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group Work Plan |
Future Communications Systems |
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| 11. Enhance Science and Technology Interoperability Collaboration | 1. Develop through the Enhanced Resiliency Experimentation Program (aka CAUSE Resiliency) a CANUS Border Region Interoperability Technology Demonstration Series (CBRITD Series) | NRCan EQ alert feed integration CANUS CAP alert exchange interface. A) Execute CAUSE Resiliency 1; CNPHI – MASAS Pilot Execute Regional Experiment
|
PS/CSS and DHS S&T |
Mandate, concept of operations and terms of reference for A) “CBIRTD series” and for B) “Interoperable EM/EOC Series” CAUSE Resiliency (West Coast) - report and videos
CAUSE Resilience (Pandemic) |
PS Data Input |
Jun 2012
A) Jun 2011 B) Apr 2012
Dec 2012 |
Complete – reflected in the Canada-United States Communications Interoperability Working Group Work Plan |
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|
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PS/CSS and DHS S&T |
Guidance on project deliverables expected from the CBRITD Series program |
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PS/CSS and DHS S&T |
Multi-year forecast of CBRITD Series locations, potential Series themes and sponsors |
|
2012 - Ongoing |
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PS/CSS and DHS S&T |
CBRITD Series resource requirement and allocation program |
|
May require bridging to mesh with Canada's business cycle |
|
Acronyms
- ASWG
- Arctic Security Working Group
- CANUS
- Canada-United States
- CAP-CP
- Common Alerting Protocol – Canadian Profile
- CAUSE
- Canada-United States Enhances Resiliency Experiment
- CBRITD
- CANUS Border Region Interoperability Technology Demonstration
- CCIP
- Canadian Communications Interoperability Plan
- CEMCS
- Canadian Emergency Management Communications Specifications
- CIOD
- Chief Information Officer Directorate
- CIRTEC
- Communications Interoperability Research, Test & Evaluation Centre
- CITIG
- Canadian Interoperability Technical Interest Group
- CLF
- Common Look and Feel
- CMP
- Change Management Process
- CRC
- Communications Research Centre
- CSS
- Centre for Security Science
- DHS
- Department of Homeland Security
- DND
- Department of National Defense
- DRDC
- Defense Research and Development Canada
- EC
- Environment Canada
- EM
- Emergency Management
- EMBC
- Emergency Management British Columbia
- EMSI
- Emergency Management Systems and Interoperability
- EOC
- Emergency Operations Centre
- EQ
- Earthquake
- FEMA
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- FOC
- Full Operational Capability
- F/P/T/M
- Federal/Provincial/Territorial/Municipal
- GIS
- Geographic Information System
- GOC
- Government Operations Centre
- HAZUS
- Hazards United States
- HC
- Health Canada
- HRE
- High Resilience Environment
- IC
- Industry Canada
- ICOE
- Interoperability Centre of Excellence
- ICS/IMS
- Incident Command System/Incident Management System
- IDO
- Interoperability Development Office
- IER
- Information Exchange Requirements
- IOC
- Initial Operational Capability
- IPAWS
- Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
- ISE
- Information Sharing Environment
- MASAS
- Multi-Agency Situational Awareness System
- MB
- Manitoba
- MIP
- Master Implementation Plan
- MOA
- Memorandum of Agreement
- MOU
- Memorandum of Understanding
- NAADS
- National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System
- NPAS
- National Public Alerting System
- NB
- New Brunswick
- NDQS
- National Data Quality Standards
- NIEM
- National Information Exchange Model
- NPAS
- National Public Alerting System
- NPSTC
- National Public Safety Telecommunications Counsel
- NRCAN
- Natural Resources Canada
- NSS
- National Search and Rescue Secretariat
- OCIP
- Operations Center Interconnectivity Portal
- ON
- Ontario
- PM
- Project Management
- PMO
- Project Management Office
- PMT
- 700 MHz Project Management Team
- PS
- Public Safety Canada
- PSCR
- Public Safety Communications Research program
- PWGSC
- Public Works and Government Services Canada
- RCMP
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- S&T
- Science and Technology
- SCONSAD
- Standing Committee on National Security and Defence
- SOREM
- Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management
- SOPs
- Standard Operating Procedures
- SOR(s)
- Statement of Requirement
- TBS
- Treasury Board Secretariat
- TBC
- To Be Confirmed
- TBD
- To Be Determined
- TBS
- Treasury Board Secretariat
- TC
- Transport Canada
- TOR(s)
- Terms of Reference
- WG
- Working Group
- WRT
- With respect to/ With regards to
- Date modified: