911 Communications Squadron receives training in new satellite-based communications package

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Timothy Mobley
  • 911 Communications Squadron
PITTSBURGH IAP ARS --  The 911th Communications Squadron has once again shown their ability to adapt to an ever-changing mission as one of a dozen Air Force Reserve Command squadrons to receive a new satellite-based communications package.

The Joint Incident Site Communications Capability is a mobile command and control center produced by Rivada Networks, a company based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rivada is a Public Safety Communications Integration company with products designed in response to communication failures in New York City on September 11, 2001 where incompatible communication systems hampered the efforts of emergency personnel. In the years between 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina the JISCC package was developed and became widely used. It addresses challenges from both incidents, offering total interoperability for first and second responders to a natural or man-made disaster.

"For example," shares Rivada Vice President Rob Needham, "we create basically a 'bubble' of voice, video and data over the incident or disaster area and it enables LMRs (Land Mobile Radios), Cellular Phones, VoIP Sip Phones, WiFi enabled laptops to all be able to communicate directly with each other because they would all be on a standard of internet protocol."

On April 26-30 three Rivada representatives, all prior-Air Force, visited the 911th CS. During this week, eight members of the squadron were introduced and trained on the new equipment. These members represented the different specialties of the 911th CS: RF Transmission Systems (Tech. Sgt. Michael Stofko and Senior Airman Bart Simon), Cyber Systems Operations (Tech. Sgts. Robert Renfroe and David DeFrank and Senior Airman Andrew Burick), Cyber Transport (Senior Airman Timothy Mobley), COMSEC Manager (Master Sgt. Leslie Vish) and Readiness ART (Master Sgt. Brenda Mitchell). Squadron members quickly learned how efficient and user-friendly the package is, providing communications capability in less than one hour of arriving at an incident site. Once in place, "it can support up to 125 computers," says MSgt. Mitchell. "A user can walk up with a laptop, plug into our network module, and have internet access."
One of the most impressive features of the system is its ability to bridge between land mobile radios and phone terminals. This capability would allow command personnel to communicate from a telephone with radio operators at an incident site. Since the JISCC uses commercial satellites for access to the internet, however, training opportunities are currently limited. "AFRC has a new contract in the works for satellite access, and the JISCC units will be working with AFRC on a long term training schedule to coordinate satellite time," assures Master Sgt. Mitchell.
Receipt of the JISCC equipment coincides with a nationwide restructuring of the Air Force communications career fields, effective October 1, 2009 and currently in the transitioning phase. Where formerly phones, radios, computers, and satellite systems operated under separate communications Air Force Specialty Codes, there is now more convergence with such technology as Voice-over-IP (VoIP), which sends voice communication as digital data. The new 3DXXX cyber support career fields are intended to meet the needs and address the challenges of integrated communications. The JISCC exemplifies this convergence in specialties, incorporating voice, video and data delivered via satellite. Mr. Needham writes that there is a "fundamental shift going on that is migrating traditional UHF/VHF radio traffic over to Radio Over IP (RoIP) and conversion of RF signal to IP at the antenna base - JISCC is a good starting system because it takes advantage of smaller and lighter weight footprints, better technology and coverage capability and lower cost." Because of this convergence, Needham forcasts a "strong push to increase knowledge in wireless technologies."

While the JISCC was first used by the Army National Guard in 2003, its full implementation in all 54 states and territories began in 2005, when it was used to support the Homeland Defense mission. It is just beginning to be employed by the AFRC for base recovery, however JISCC systems are also designed to mesh with each other, becoming a force multiplier.
With FEMA reporting ten Federal Disaster Declarations in Pennsylvania within the past decade, it seems likely there will be both a need and opportunity for the 911th CS to provide crisis communication at some point in the future.