Network being developed with the National Joint Terrorism Taskforce

AD | 12.10.2005 | 08:05:453488 |

Members of the National Taskforce on Community Preparedness and Response met with representatives of the National Joint Terrorism Taskforce (NJTTF) at the National CounterTerrorism Center on December 5 to collaborate on developing the Essential Public Network (EPN), an Internet network to connect community organizations, companies, schools and citizens with responders and law enforcement before and during threat or crisis.

Using the secure and trusted technology currently being used by NJTTF, the EPN will be a gateway for community members to link to not only certain government sites, but also to receive geographically important alters and information specific to their location.  Utilizing the innovative application of the Connect & Protect program developed by the non-profit organization RAINS (Regional Alliance for Information and Network Security), the EPN will provide a way for law enforcement at the local, state and federal level to broadcast critical information on a need to know, see and share basis to non-law enforcement users.

The steering committee that will be developing the EPN is called the Open Standard Municipal Operating System Committee (OSMOS), which has members from all sectors, including the NJTTF and others.  This committee will work with first responders, business managers, community leaders and others to design a system that is tailored to the users in a practical and useful way.  The goal is to have the gateway deployed in late December, followed by regional hearings to determine the types of functionality and tools that should be included.  A schedule of the hearings will be published before year's end...read more >>