| Emergency Telecommunications and Mitigation-Oriented Policymaking |
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| Written by Gordon Gow | |
| Monday, 17 January 2005 | |
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Page 2 of 5 Telecommunications for national security/emergency preparedness (NS/EP) is largely concerned with providing continuity of governance following a major emergency or disaster. Its historical roots stem from strategic defence initiatives undertaken during the Cold War and efforts in this area have been renewed in light of perceived threats from terrorist activities. A report published in the early 1990s on the survivability of Canada’s public telecommunications networks in the context of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union is characteristic of this kind of policy research (Hoffman, 1990). Leadership in this field has come from the United States, where a number of important organizations have conducted research within the context of critical infrastructure protection. Of these, the United States National Communications System (NCS) has initiated numerous projects addressing vulnerability and response readiness for the American federal government (National Communications System, 2004). After the conclusion of the Cold War, research into national security/emergency preparedness tended to shift its focus toward the impact of new technologies on government preparedness and response capabilities. For example, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology published a study in 1995 on national security/emergency preparedness concerns associated with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requirement for ‘Open Network Architecture’ within the public switched telephone network (US National Institute of Standards and Technology, 1995). In Canada, research was conducted to examine the impact of technological and regulatory change on government emergency telecommunications planning and programs (Thomas, 1994). When one examines the body of research dealing within the NS/EP domain it becomes evident that much of it is directed toward objectives of preparedness, response and recovery rather than toward the underlying causes as suggested by mitigation strategies. In part, this focus stems from the current policy framework and approaches used in national security/emergency preparedness settings. In Canada, for example, these responsibilities are set forth in the Federal Policy for Emergencies, the Emergency Preparedness Act and detailed at various levels of departmental policy. The lead role for emergency telecommunications responsibilities is assigned to Industry Canada and is described in government policy documents (Emergency Preparedness Canada, 1995). The federal government policy for emergency telecommunications is characterized by a response-oriented approach to support continuity of government, as evident in the responsibilities of Industry Canada, characterized as follows:
The primary role here, as with most NS/EP programs, is to provide a structure for continuity of governance during emergency or disaster situations and as such, research and program development tends to be targeted at that primary function. |
