Daily Operations Center
In 2005 Iowa hosted the National Governors’ Conference. The event brought many VIPs to Iowa and had some unique planning and preparation. This photo shows the DOC (Daily Operations Center) that was temporarily configured to support Federal, State, County and City operations. 31 different agencies coordinated out of the DOC for one week.
On Land and in the Air
Interoperability does not only apply to ground operations. In this photo you see cooperation between Life Flight Air Medic services coordinating their response efforts with Law Enforcement ground personnel to secure a safe landing site.
Protecting Iowa's Natural Resources
With Iowa’s Natural resources we are sometimes called to aid in rescue or recovery efforts involving lakes, ponds or rivers. Iowa has 56,271.55 square miles in total land area (including 402.2 square miles of water). These type of responses can be complex and require coordinated efforts from many responders.
Coordinating Responses to Vehicle Emergencies
Iowa has over 114,000 miles of roadway. With over 4 million register vehicles, we always run the risk of these vehicles meeting in some type of crash. Depending on the severity and location of a crash, we are required to provide many types of response. It might include Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS or Medical or HAZMAT. Iowa has a large number of volunteer first responders to help augment operations across the state.
Ready to Respond
This photo shows the Varied Industries Building at the State Fair Grounds. The empty cots serve as a solemn reminder of what happened after the southern states had been hit by Hurricane Katrina. Iowa made preparations to receive and support displaced families.
The next ISICS Board Meeting will be on February 27, 2013 from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm at the West Des Moines City Council Chambers, West Des Moines City Hall, 4200 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. It will follow the E911 Council Meeting which will begin at 9:00 am.
Click on the ‘Meeting Dates’ link below for the full 2013 proposed schedule (subject to change). Additional details for the outreach meetings will be updated when those locations are finalized.
Live Demonstration of Future Wireless Broadband NetworkAbout The Board
The Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board (ISICSB) became a reality in 2007. The board held its first meeting in October of 2007 and one of the first items discussed was the need for a tool to get information out to everyone. There was discussion about using a website as the mechanism for “getting the word out.” Websites serve people in many ways; our goal is to use this site as our link to the communities, organizations, offices, elected officials, PSAPs, and other stakeholders. They could be directly impacted by decisions and work conducted by the ISICSB. Our partnership reaches from all disciplines with a mission on unifying all of our common interests. Working together, we can make our state a great place to live, prosper and communicate.
The design and idea behind building the ISICSB website was one of the first orders of business for the new statewide board on October 2007. Websites have a way of creating ownership in what is happening and serve as a great way to connect to anyone who is unable to attend a meeting. Whether you are trying to catch up on meeting minutes or just wanting to keep informed, that is the goal of this website. By building this site, we hope to create a new level of interaction with our fellow communications enthusiasts statewide and nationally. The idea of interoperability is not a new paradigm of thinking, but, it has finally arrived in Iowa and we are trying our best to meet the challenge.