Beginning with the 2010 work plan, this Working Group will address the following objectives/action items:

For 2010:

1. Investigate and recommend the roles amateur radio can fulfill in support of public safety agencies during in emergency situations.
2. Develop guidelines and strategies for the proper and legal use of amateur radio within governmental organizations.
3. Study the status of interoperability and interaction between public safety and amateur radio services, both during normal times and in emergencies and integrate these findings into “Best Practices”.

Ongoing:

1. Develop, collect and publicize best practices for the public safety community to incorporate amateur radio into its operations. Review successes and failures around the country. Promote mutual understanding of Amateur Radio Emergency Organization's roles and organizational structures.
2. Identify interference sources common to public safety and amateur radio, and recommend mitigation methods.
3. Work through NPSTC for the inclusion of Amateur Radio as a communications resource for pertinent Federal, State and local communications and emergency plans and guidance materials.

The Radio Channel Naming Working Group, originally the Common Nomenclature Working Group and located within the Regional Planning Committee (RPC) Committee, is working to achieve a common nomenclature for all interoperability channels in all public safety bands.

For more information on the NPSTC Channel Naming Report click here.

To serve as a forum for the discussion of communications needs in EMS, particularly the integration of new communications technology to enhance access to the information required for appropriate emergency patient care and transportation.

• Hold "expert panel" meeting to make recommendations on the integration of communications technology in EMS. Draft white paper for comment by EMS community. Goal is to determine desired technologies and their bandwidth, cost and other implications
• Assist NASEMSO in pursuing a patient tracking standard as a data communications activity. Pursue through SAFECOM DM

Emergency Support Function #2 (ESF-2) supports the restoration of communications infrastructure, facilitates the recovery of systems and applications from cyber attacks, and coordinates Federal communications support to response efforts during incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response. The mission of this Working Group is to serve as a forum for the discussion of communications restoration needs at the local, tribal, state and Federal levels following a major event or incident as defined in the National Response Plan.

This Working Group will focus upon facilitating the development and utilization of Software Defined Radio (SDR) technologies for the support of public safety communications and operations.

The activities of this group are to :

1. Provide NPSTC representation and participation within the SDR Forum process;
2. Provide documentation of NPSTC’s positions in related regulatory matters and filings;
3. Assist in the development and analysis of public safety communications scenarios and in identifying the benefits and concerns related to the use of SDR-based technologies to support public safety operations;
4. Ensure that the work of the SDR Forum meets and properly reflects public safety’s requirements for deployable SDR-based technologies; and
5. Actively contribute within SDR Forum activities and working groups including:
   1. The SDR Forum Public Safety Special Interest Group (PSIG) activities (RFI for SDR Solutions to SAFECOM SDR).
6. The SDR Forum Cognitive Radio/Spectrum Sharing Working Group (Report on Cognitive Radio Capabilities, Spectrum Monitoring at RNC).
7. Click here to get additional documents regarding SDR.

The Editorial Review Working Group insures NPSTC published documents are without grammatical or spelling error prior to publication. Members of the working group are appointed by the Working Group Chair.

Summary: Review all NPSTC Publications and Articles

• Review npstc monthly, npstc quarterly, npstc tech briefs, Governing Board meeting minutes, and NPSTC articles
• Assist in creation and review of NPSTC Regulatory Update

This Groups purpose is to engage new participants and educate them on the structure of NPSTC. This group will provide new participants information on how they can make a difference within NPSTC and how valuable their skill sets are the work NPSTC does at both the national and local levels.

• Welcome new participants into NPSTC at each of the four orientations that will be held at the NPSTC Governing Board Meetings
• Informally interview each new participants to access their skills and interests
• Access which working groups would be a good fit for the new participants skills and interests
• Report to the Outreach Committee the skills and interests the new participant, as well as make suggestion of which Working Group would be best suited for them
• Introduce new participants to various Governing Board, Committee, and Working Group members so that the

The Website Review Working Group insures the NPSTC website reflects the highest standards professional appearance and insures the content is correct, relevant and targeted to its intended audience. Members of the working group are appointed by the Working Group Chair.

Summary: review and quality control of www.NPSTC.org.

• Review all Hyperlinks throughout the NPSTC.org website.
• Review all text and photos throughout the NPSTC.org website.
• Present suggest changes to the NPSTC.org website
• Assist in the creation and review of the NPSTC Library
• Assist in category creation
• Assist in functionality review
• Assist in Quality Control

The mission of the Working Group is to take necessary actions to secure an update for Part 90, Subpart L of the FCC Rules and Regulations to account for the DTV transition.

• Develop appropriate technical standards for land mobile protection of DTV Stations in the 470-512 MHz Spectrum
• Develop appropriate technical standards for DTV protection of land mobile stations in the 470-512 MHz Spectrum
• Update the list of protected televisions stations to be protected in the top eleven markets where T-Band land mobile operation is permitted by rule.

This Working Group will promote the availability of 700 MHz spectrum for public safety and Homeland Security nationwide, develop recommendations on 700 MHz issues for the NPSTC Governing Board action, and facilitate outreach to the public safety user community and government decision makers on 700 MHz issues.

The initial objectives of this group are to:

1. Advance TV Clearing;
2. Support shortspacing of land mobile and TV stations, pending full TV clearing;
3. Encourage FCC to stop licensing additional LPTV stations in channels 60-69;
4. Develop a position on the wideband reserve spectrum;
5. Support conformance of 700 MHz station ID rules to match those at 800 MHz;
6. Obtain FCC clarification of Fixed Operation status for 700 MHz;
7. Develop a position on 12.5/6.25 kHz reconsideration issues; and
8. Assist the Technology Committee in seeking FCC action on the TIA 902 wideband standard previously recommended by the NCC.

700 MHz Broadband Network Requirements Task Force

Address strategies and spectrum for public safety airborne-to-ground video operations.

• Define issue, incl. any partial solutions in use and shortfall to PS requirements
• Determine solution options
• Develop recommendations to FCC for Board approval
• WG members: (seek those interested at meeting)

Volunteer Form

Mission: This Working Group will seek additional spectrum for Public Safety to be utilized in alerting and notifying responders. The Working Group will develop guidance to promote availability of effective alerting, efficient spectrum use and interoperability among systems.

Goals:

1. Develop educational materials on the alerting and notification issues.
2. Assess spectrum bands of interest
3. Meet with the FCC to discuss potential spectrum availability
4. Seek support for recommended solutions

Volunteers:

1. Stu Overby
2. David Buchanan
3. Marilyn Ward
4. John Logan
5. Andy Thiessen

  Two-Way Paging

Mission: To promote the availability of affordable in-building and in-tunnel communications in ways that do not interfere with critical operations and to serve as NPSTC liaison with other entities addressing in-building/in-tunnel communications.

The focus of this group will be to:

1. Assess Public Safety in-building communications requirements (Partnered with IBWA to develop survey free of charge to NPSTC; promoted survey participation at NPSTC and subsequently presented summary results. Recently working with IBWA on a "scorecard" matrix of how in-building communications can assist public safety.);
2. Assess Public Safety in-tunnel communications requirements;
3. Determine interference concerns (Initially significant concerns by Jack Daniel and others, however, request for info on specific interference cases have yielded only a few results),
4. Explore ways to minimize interference (Arranged presentation by Dekolink at June 13, 2006 meeting);
5. Formulate NPSTC recommendations to FCC on in-building communications issues for Board approval (TBD, as part of white paper development.);
6. Liaison with the In-Building Wireless Alliance (IBWA) -- Active and Ongoing;
7. Develop In-Building white paper for Board approval and placement on web (WIP-Revised target by June meeting);
8. Examine wireless access to building information on the incident scene (Initial discussions at WG mtg. 2/5/07);
9. Catalog local ordinances (no Board vote but agreed to in focus group 2/5/07 by several key Board members. Info collected needs to be summarized as part of whitepaper development. (WIP)

• Best Practices for In-Building Communications
• Best Practices for In-Building Communications - Appendix A-E

Mission: This workgroup will identify technology topics of interest to NPSTC participants and the communications community at large. They will facilitate the development and delivery of appropriate training materials to address those topics up to and including creating publications, marketing plans, seminars, and/or other methods of ensuring educational benefit.

The focus of this group will be to:

1. Identify list of target topics. - August 2007;
2. Develop a detailed work plan for each target topic, including identification of a SME for each. - November 2007

Technology Education