Classroom Sessions

	Title	Description
1.	Enhancing Public Safety and Intergovernmental Coordination through Communications Interoperability	Chris Shenefiel, Manager, Safety & Security Solutions, US Public Sector Cisco Systems, Inc. Exploration of an architecture that enables sharing of information across disparate communications infrastructures using the Cisco Open Platform for Safety and Security (COPSS). Hear first-hand how state and local public safety organizations enabled and enhanced interagency public safety coordination and collaboration. The session includes a demonstration of a sample COPSS deployment.
2.	Third Civil Support Team Communications	Master Sergeant Peter S. Fink, Communications Team Chief Captain Russell Flick, Operations Officer Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs An overview of communications assets and capabilities with a demonstration and walkthrough of the Unified Command Suite and ADVON vehicles.
3.	Mobile Damage Assessment Data Collection	Mark Lesher, Account Manager, Pennsylvania State and Local Government ESRI, Inc. In working with three Regional Task Forces in Pennsylvania, ESRI has developed a mobile data collection application for post-disaster damage assessment. This application allows users to quickly deploy assessors to the field, collect damage estimates, and transmit data back to the Emergency Operations Center. Additionally, data is shared among all counties in the Task Force, allowing for an interoperable view into operations and easier mutual aid and response.
4.	Narrowbanding Through the Remaining Narrow Window of Time	Don Appleby, Director RCC Consultants, Inc. A brief history and high-level discussion of narrowbanding including what it is, who it affects, what equipment it affects, and what issues it raises for RF coverage and interoperability. Also covered is budgetary planning for replacement of equipment that cannot be narrowbanded.
5.	Multimode and Multiband Radios	Roger Kohr, Sales Manager Harris Corporation, RF Communications Division Demonstration and overview of Harris Corporation technology for interoperable communications.
6.	Grants Management for Public Safety Communications Projects	Gregory Steckel, Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Manager Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Public Safety Radio Services An overview of best practices and procedures for public safety communications grant projects. Topics include adherence to grant guidelines, effective project management, and establishing program relationships with vendors, end users, and other stakeholders.
7.	Broadband and Interoperability	Kamal Ballout, Vice President, Engineering Alcatel-Lucent, Inc. An overview of the Commonwealth's initiatives leveraging the PA-STARNet network to provide broadband to the unserved and underserved and to support health care, education, and public safety in Pennsylvania.
8.	Lessons Learned from the Interoperable Communications Functional Exercise	Craig Thornton, Senior Consultant IEM, Inc. Review of the results of the functional communications exercise held the first day of the conference. Discussion of plans for agency communications training and exercise programs, focusing on incorporation of interoperable communications into exercise planning to help meet National Preparedness Guidelines while including Critical Tasks from the DHS Target Capabilities list. An interactive session with an opportunity for audience questions.
9.	Emergency Communications Standard Operating Procedures	Kenneth Born, Telecommunications Specialist U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications Pennsylvania's SCIP Implementation Workshop in March and the updated SCIP Implementation Report both identified SOP development as a priority. In the past six months, OEC has collected a number of sample SOPs from states and territories and created templates to assist in developing SOPs. This session includes an overview of the samples and guidance and an opportunity for discussion.
10.	County and Hospital Talk Group Sharing: An Interoperability Model	Frank Yoder, Transition Coordinator Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Public Safety Radio Services An overview of a model for interoperable communications in the health care community using PA STARNet. The session includes participation by representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and from the Emergency Medical Services community.
11.	Interoperability Works: Health and Medical Perspective	Atmaram Nambiar, Epidemiologist Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health Don Strubeck, Chairman Health and Medical Committee, Northeast Pennsylvania Emergency Response Group Presentation of the role of the health and medical community in emergency response and the successful use of interoperable communications during the September 2008 exercise involving a plane crash at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport.
12.	Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group and Mobile Emergency Response Support Capabilities	John D MacLean III, Disaster Emergency Communications Coordinator FEMA Region III, Disaster Operations Division David Simonsen, IT Specialist FEMA, Mobile Emergency Response Support Describes the Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group (RECCWG), the legislation that mandates formation of the RECCWG, and how the RECCWG relates to the National Emergency Communications Plan. Includes a brief overview of the FEMA Disaster Emergency Communications (DEC) section and the Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS).
13.	New Technology in Aerial Surveillance for Simpler and More Reliable Mission Success	James Malone, Chief Technology Officer RF Central, LLC (Vitec Group) An overview and demonstration of technology and objectives for the tactical incident response and emergency operations video project of the Commonwealth’s Office of Public Safety Radio Services (OPRS), for real-time incident and field operations view from aircraft video.
14.	Mobile Computing and Policing	William F. Herkert, Jr. Penn State A discussion of the benefits of mobile computing in law enforcement communications, including improved dispatch and routine assignments, field intelligence, and geographical information, as well as on-scene information from direct database lookups and relief of strain on radio voice communications.