WIRELESS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM: WIRELESS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM KARL RAUSCHER Founder, WERT Chair, (U.S.) FCC NRIC V Best Practices Vice Chair, ATIS (U.S.) NRSC Chair Elect, IEEE CQR (International) Member, (U.S.) NCS/NCC Director, Network Reliability Lucent Technologies krauscher@lucent.com +1 732 949-0339


Mission: Mission The Wireless Emergency Response Team was established on the night of September 11, 2001 to provide coordinated wireless industry mutual aid support for Search and Rescue efforts at the World Trade Center rubble.


U.S. Emergency Response Functions : U.S. Emergency Response Functions


Outline: Outline WERT Mission WERT Statistics WERT Capabilities and Approach Key Learnings & Recommendations Final Report Next Steps


Summary Statistics: Summary Statistics No survivors were found 33 organizations participated 250+ industry subject matter experts participated An additional ~500 volunteers staffed the Public Call Center 134 Key Learnings 23 Recommendations 5,039 calls received in the WERT Public Call Center 120 reports of a missing person’s use of a cell phone or pager from the rubble


Participating Organizations: Participating Organizations Arch Wireless Argonne National Labratory AT&T AT&T Wireless BellSouth CTIA Cingular Interactive EDO Corporation Ericsson FCC Lucent Technologies SkyTel Sprint PCS Telcordia Technologies TruePosition U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Marshals Service, ESU U.S. Secret Service Verizon Verizon Wireless VoiceStream Wheat International Metrocall Motorola NCS NCC NRSC NRIC Nextel NYPD NYC Mayor’s Office Nortel Networks PCIA


Locations of Operation: Locations of Operation Coordination Command Center Service Provider Intelligence Public Call Center Ground Zero Locating Network Surveillance & Analysis


WERT Capabilities: WERT Capabilities, Functions, Approach Coordination Command Center Network Surveillance & Analysis Service Provider Intelligence Public Call Center Ground Zero Locating WERT Capabilities


Approach: Approach Mission of the Coordination Command Center was to Provide leadership for the entire team Coordinate with authorities Manage media interfaces Facilitate intra-team communications Mission of the Network Surveillance & Analysis Sub Team was to Look for any activity on call center list. Registration, Calls, or Text Messaging activity, Proactively screen 911 calls for false alarms. Identify cell site of 911 call. Look at call and registration history.


Approach (continued): Approach (continued) Mission of the Service Provider Intelligence Sub Team provide rapid response database lookup information: associating service provider names, switch addresses, and tandem homing arrangement information with cellular phone numbers


Approach (continued): Approach (continued) Mission of the Public Call Center was to Off load calls from 911 command center and other government entities Receive calls and collect information about potentially trapped survivors Obtain cell and pager numbers for missing persons The Mission of the Ground Zero Locating Sub Team is to . . . aid and assist in the location of and communication with trapped survivors who possess a variety of wireless personal equipment. There is a high probability that victims will have access to some sort of wireless device (e.g. phone, pager, FOB, etc.). This provides a unique opportunity for passive remote location and establishing a wireless link for remote communication


Key Learnings - Examples: Key Learnings - Examples What Worked Well high commitment of professionals/organizations in mutual aid pre-established federal coordination function of NCC ability to conduct rapid research Adapted fraud, billing and trouble shooting tools to quickly screen call center list and 911 calls. Provided guidelines via text messages for preserving battery life Provide extended network coverage into debris field using RF. repeaters, autonomous basestations, and basestation simulators.


Key Learnings - Examples: Key Learnings - Examples Areas for Improvement and Further Investigation pre-defined processes, definitions and templates broad language translation capabilities guidelines for communication with a trapped survivor between detection and location special instructions for 911 centers for handling wireless callers Handling 911 calls from a 3rd party Identifying Search and Rescue mobile phones Use of text messaging to communicate with a victim Would the techniques learned work in another disaster scenario The possible addition of an emergency mode for mobile equipment with extreme low-power and location beacons


Recommendations: Coordination Command Center: Recommendations: Coordination Command Center Recommendation CCC-1 The WERT Coordination Command Center 44 Key Learnings should be reviewed by the larger wireless communications industry for inclusion in industry Best Practices. Recommendation CCC-2 The NCS / NCC, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) should conduct an annual test in which the WERT capability is tested. The test should consist of a simulated condition that adequately exercises WERT procedural and technical capabilities. The test should include a measurement for the effectiveness of the limitations of directing a Ground Zero team in order to better understand the technical capabilities available.


Recommendations: Coordination Command Center: Recommendations: Coordination Command Center Recommendation CCC-3 Wireless Service Providers should review existing NRIC Network Reliability Best Practices, with a particular emphasis on those Best Practices related to Security, Power, Essential Services, Emergency Preparedness, and Disaster Recovery. Recommendation CCC-4 The WERT should determine the most appropriate oversight of its operation. This oversight should ensure appropriate support and cooperation so that its Key Learnings and Recommendations can be properly addressed.


Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis: Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis Recommendation NSA-1 The WERT Network Surveillance and Analysis Sub Team’s 26 Key Learnings should be reviewed by the larger wireless communications industry for inclusion in industry Best Practices. Recommendation NSA-2 Establish WERT as a permanent entity, with contact names and reach numbers of all carriers. Recommendation NSA-3 Industry associations should establish Best Practice procedures for mutual aid Search and Rescue efforts. This information should be documented and distributed to all carriers. Recommendation NSA-4 The WERT should work with the industry to make information available that can be used to train Search and Rescue teams on the use of several communications technologies. For example, the cellular system could be overloaded or incapacitated, but data networks could have spare capacity.


Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis: Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis Recommendation NSA-5 The wireless industry should consider processes for routing SMS and pages addressed to 911. With the increased usage of text messages, the time has come to determine how these messages should be routed to a PSAP in the event of an emergency. Clarification is needed for what happens to messages sent to 911. Recommendation NSA-6 The WERT Network and Surveillance and Analysis Sub Team should periodically rehearse the execution of its function. This exercise should include coordination with the other WERT functions, and directing the Ground Zero Sub Team in their function.


Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis: Recommendations: Network Surveillance & Analysis Recommendation NSA-7 The WERT needs to consider how to prepare for disaster situations with significantly different characteristics. One of the successes of the Network Surveillance and Analysis effort in the World Trade Center scenario was identifying false alarms. However the WERT needs to review lessons learned and the WERT processes for a disaster with significantly different geographic characteristics. For example where the disaster region is over several square miles, and the wireless infrastructure of transmitters, receivers (cell sites) and switches is compromised. Examples include Los Angeles Northridge earthquake, or Florida’s Hurricane Andrew. Identifying false alarms may require different techniques. Recommendation NSA-8 National carriers should review the techniques and tools developed during this disaster to see if additional development is needed on vendors’ equipment.


Recommendations: Service Provider Intelligence: Recommendations: Service Provider Intelligence Recommendation SPI-1 The WERT Service Provider Intelligence Sub Team’s 8 Key Learnings should be reviewed by the larger wireless communications industry for inclusion in industry Best Practices. Recommendation SPI-2 The wireless industry should investigate how to make accurate determinations of controlling wireless carriers in a wireless number portability environment (planned for November 2002).


Recommendations: Public Call Center: Recommendations: Public Call Center Recommendation PCC-1 The WERT Public Call Center 30 Key Learnings should be reviewed by the larger communications industry for inclusion in industry Best Practices. Recommendation PCC-2 Major communications companies should have a contingency plan to offer a public call center for a mutual aid national crisis.


Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating: Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating Recommendation GZL-1 The WERT Ground Zero Locating Sub Team’s 26 Key Learnings should be reviewed by the larger wireless communications industry and emergency response entities for inclusion in Best Practices. Recommendation GZL-2 In future wireless emergency responses, the Ground Zero Locating Sub Team, in coordination with the Coordination Command Center, should use the following 7 Step On-Site Deployment Strategy: On-Site Deployment Strategy: a. Identify local emergency contacts at the disaster site with which to coordinate efforts. b. Brief local officials on RF detection capabilities, strategy and plan. c. Obtain approval from local officials and agree upon deployment plan. d. If service exists, deploy repeaters with antennas deployed into the wreckage to extend the existing wireless service as far as possible to minimize the path loss in both the uplink and downlink direction between the wireless communication device and the network. e. Get service provider permission to radiate on at least one clear channel in their spectrum for emergency purposes regardless of whether there is coverage up or not. (It is necessary for service providers to free up at least one emergency channel that is on the local PRL for rescue efforts.) f. Deploy highly portable, stand-alone technology-specific microcells at the disaster site that are capable of mobile-to-mobile calls. Deploy antennas as far into the wreckage as possible to maximize RF coverage. (Note: these miniature basestations will be independent of the existing network with the exception that they will use the channels that have been cleared by the service providers.) g. For technologies where portable basestations with mobile-to-mobile calls are not available, deploy sniffing equipment with the appropriate band-specific filters and LNAs for uplink gain to detect any RF signal activity coming from the wreckage.


Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating: Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating Recommendation GZL-3 The wireless communications industry should consider how mobile phones and pagers could be placed in an emergency mode that would facilitate location of survivors. Operation in this mode should maximize chances of locating survivors while minimizing power consumption. Recommendation GZL-4 FEMA should recognize the WERT as a legitimate and valuable capability to be fully utilized, when appropriate. Recommendation GZL-5 State and Local governments should recognize and utilize WERT for smaller emergencies, when appropriate.


Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating: Recommendations: Ground Zero Locating Recommendation GZL-6 The WERT should establish a comprehensive list of appropriate authorities and procedures for interaction with federal, state and local government agencies. Recommendation GZL-7 The WERT should work with the NCS/NCC and FEMA to conduct periodic, formal test and trials in areas targeted for demolition to further explore RF detection of mobiles placed within these structures before demolition.


Final Report: Final Report Available to Public: www.bell-labs.com/wireless/wert Presented to FCC Chairman Michael Powell and FCC-Chartered Network Reliability & Interoperability Council (NRIC) V. October 30, 2001 Systematically reviews Key Learnings What Worked Well Areas for Improvement Areas Requiring Further Investigation Presents Recommendations


Conclusion: Value Added : Conclusion: Value Added Keep rescue teams from danger by quickly discrediting false reports Confirming as safe, individuals thought to be missing Helping family members achieve closure Assuring the public - both here and abroad - that all known technological approaches are being used to listen for any cellular or pager communication being sent Key Learnings and Recommendations in the WERT Final Report being studied so that this capability can be enhanced and optimized


Next Steps : Next Steps Assess responses to Final Report from: government authorities emergency response agencies industry fora / associations, and the public Coordinate proper follow-up for the Key Learnings and Recommendations Determine appropriate oversight for the WERT capability WERT available on an ongoing basis (Salt Lake City Olympic Games, etc.)