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Case Study

Building a Safer State

In Brief

How a Law Enforcement Officer's Desire to Protect Life Became a

To help protect the lives of gov-

Poster Child for Multi-Agency Communications Interoperability

ernment employees, citizens and

visitors on Washington's remote

Transportation and the Department of

The Challenge

Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife. And

At the furthest northwest corner of the con-

Olympic Peninsula, the Olympic

finally, local to the peninsula itself is the

tinental United States lies Clallam County,

usual network of first responders, hospi-

1,700 square miles of rugged terrain on

Public Safety Communications

tals, schools, and utilities, along with the

Washington's Olympic Peninsula. With its

Alliance Network (OPSCAN) was

S'Klallam, Lower Elwha and Makah Indian

remote location and sparse population, the

Nations. At times, situations may require

region presents a number of challenges for

created to unify the communica-

cross-border collaboration with the Royal

government agencies seeking to ensure

Canadian Mounted Police and British

tions of more than 40 internation-

public safety and protect the lives and prop-

Columbia Parks Police.

erty of agents, residents, and visitors.

al, federal, state, local, tribal, and

Each of the entities involved in Clallam

"Public safety agencies must cover not only

utility agencies. In one of the first

County use completely different methods

the towns and roads, but 300 miles of

of communication, from landlines and cell

coastline, part of Olympic National Park,

and largest interoperability net-

phones to radios broadcasting on VHF, UHF,

the Canadian border, two marine ferries,

works of its kind, OPSCAN chose

700 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies. With

and several Native American Nations," says

the need to communicate both on a daily

Clallam County Sheriff Joe Martin.

WAVE as the core component for

basis and in the event of an emergency, the

Matching the vast land and seascapes is a

use of completely disparate technologies

broad force of more than 40 local, state,

its 'system-of-systems' network,

made inter-agency communication difficult,

federal, utility, tribal, and Canadian entities

leveraging software to enable

inefficient, and at times, dangerous.

that are responsible for handling the coun-

ty's public safety issues.

seamless interoperation among

Following two events in particular - months

of conflict in 1998 and 1999 over Makah

The involvement of so many agencies in

existing radio systems and extend

whaling rights, and the involvement of mul-

managing daily affairs and responding to

tiple agencies in a 25-hour standoff follow-

criminal activities, accidents, and natural

their reach to analog and IP tele-

ing the shooting death of a Sheriff's Deputy

emergencies, made Clallam County's situa-

phones, mobile phones and com-

- in 2001 Sheriff Martin spearheaded the for-

tion a perfect example of the challenges

mation of the Olympic Public Safety

faced by all levels of government across

puter systems across the state and

Communications Alliance Network

the U.S. in the post-9/11 environment. The

(OPSCAN). Sheriff Martin was able to secure

beyond.

ability to work together and communicate

the participation of each of the more than

effectively is not only a responsibility of

40 agencies involved with the county's public

state and local governments mandated by

safety, and so OPSCAN was formed with the

the Department of Homeland Security

purpose of determining, implementing, and

(DHS), it is essential to preventing and

managing a plan for seamless communica-

responding to public safety threats.

tions interoperability.

At the federal level, agencies include the

The Solution

Department of Homeland Security, the FBI,

With the tragic events of 9/11, and the

the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs and

shortcomings of inter-agency communica-

Border Protection Bureau, and the

tion they highlighted, Sheriff Martin's for-

National Forest Service. The state's pres-

mation of OPSCAN proved to be truly pre-

ence ranges from the Emergency

scient. Following the formation of DHS

Management Agency and the Washington

and its goals of prompting states to

State Patrol to the Department of

PSCAN | Case Study