DomPrep’s John F. Morton met with Thomas J. Lockwood, Director, Office of National Capital Region (NCR) Coordination, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to discuss Lockwood’s views on the need to work in close coordination with the Washington, D.C., Council of Governments, the prioritization of all-hazards security plans, integrated training requirements, & the special roles played by regional CIOs & CTOs.
Background on NCR Coordination
The background, composition, and coordination of the NCR. Working through the Washington Council of Governments (COG). Leveraging coordination through existing bodies to prioritize all–hazards/homeland-security focus and investments.
Impact on the NCR
Regional assessment of the NCR via the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP); the challenges to development and implementation of the NCR Homeland Security Strategic Plan; coordinating an NCR awareness campaign on the need for personal-preparedness plans.
Operational Impacts
Prioritizing information sharing for CBRNE prevention/mitigation and response/recovery – e.g., provision of regional radio caches and common tool sets. The role of regional CIOs and CTOs in providing an architectural framework for tactical integration. Integrated training. How the NCR brings the appropriate players to the table to set regional requirements, write budget lines, and develop grant funding plans.
Application to Other Regions in the Country
The importance of knowing the regional players to prioritize, plan, and leverage interstate information fusion. The example of the “Quad State” Initiative created by Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
NCR Coordination and First Responder Authentication
The need for first-responder authentication. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201 as a “trust model” for an open-architectureentity-management standard. The U.S. Fire Administrator’s case for consistent terminology based on emergency support function (ESF) to facilitate authentication. Use of first-responder authentication cards for after-action reports and assessments, and as a performance measure for future NCR exercises.
Listen on
Thomas J. Lockwood
Thomas J. Lockwood is an independent consultant and former member of U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) senior leadership team and served three of its secretaries in key leadership roles. He supported the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator in efforts to secure online transactions as lead coordinator and core team member for development of the U.S. National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. He served as the DHS director for the National Capital Region, the homeland security advisor and deputy director of homeland security for the State of Maryland, and the executive deputy commissioner for homeland security and emergency services for the State of New York. He has experience both in the public and private sectors – including the transportation, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food sectors. He is currently a board member of the Smart Card Alliance and a member of its Executive Leadership Council, a member of the Preparedness Leadership Council, and a DomPrep advisor.
John F. Morton
John F. Morton is the Strategic Advisor for DomPrep. He is also the Homeland Security Team Lead for the Project on National Security Reform (PNSR). A member of the DomPrep team since its founding, he has served as managing editor for writer assignments and interviewer for scores of DomPrep audio interviews.
