Regional Public-Private Interoperable Communications for Catastrophic Events Using a Cloud Computing Based Portal

As part of the US Department of Homeland Security Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program, a plan was developed for a region-wide public-private sector communications strategy for the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin combined statistical area (CSA). Key to this plan is the implementation of a governance structure and web-based communications platform for the entire CSA. A governance structure is outlined at the organizational, operational and technology levels. This governance takes the form of a coalition of public agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations throughout the CSA. One of the responsibilities of the coalition is to coordinate situational awareness and resource requests among participants during a catastrophic event. A web-based portal is developed to facilitate this kind of information exchange, overlaid on cloud computing infrastructure for extra resiliency. The portal services and architecture are outlined, along with actual views obtained from a prototype that was developed. Evaluations conducted using a simulated disaster drill showed that a portal concept can be highly effective in establishing common situational awareness and consolidating resource requests across public and private organizations during adverse events. Implementation of a portal within the CSA would be best accomplished on a gradual basis using a phased approach.