CATA Vendor Outreach Forum

Halifax - September 28 and 29, 2010

This was the Third Annual Vendor Outreach Forum (VOF) organized by the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) and the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Croup (CITIG).  CATA is Canada's leading association of high tech companies in Canada and CITIG is a growing group of 600 plus companies that are interested in the development of interoperable systems for public safety and national security programs and initiatives.

The VOF drew leaders from the 1^st Responder community from across Canada, with some Maritime flavour given that Halifax was chosen as the venue for the event.  The attendees represented either 1^st Responders who were passionate about their jobs and the tools and resources the need to save lives and protect property or the supplier side where companies sent reps who were equally passionate about their ability to work with the 1^st Responders to make sure that they provide the best solution possible to the real life event where lives may indeed hang in the balance.

Since the CITIG was originally organized through the Canadian Police Research Centre (CPRC), an operating unit of the Centre for Security Science (CSS) and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), there was some concentration at the meeting on how best the CPRC and CITIG can help the technology based needs of 1^st Responders from all three services (police, fire, paramedics).  There was general agreement that it was the experienced 1^st Responders who could best define the equipment and service they need to optimally perform their life-saving work.  During the final session of the Forum, Steve Palmer, Director of the CPRC,  announced that the CPRC will issue a Call for Proposals to allow for funding for developing leading edge solutions for Canadian 1^st Responders.  The call can be found at  www.css.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/cprc/  along with the instructions on how to reply.

Conference speakers included representatives from all tri-services who spoke of requirements development within each service from both a local and a national perspective.  Among the topics discussed, there were a couple of issues that are near and dear to the hearts of all members of the PTSC-Online Community. There was a point made and discussion ensued on the need to create a national strategy for interoperability to guide the adoption of interoperable systems uniformly across the country.  Moreover, it was noted that the strategy must relate to issues such as educational requirements, system of systems, outreach and …. wait for it ….. standards!

This is where PTSC comes in.  Participants at the VOF event were encouraged to develop a set of standards and benchmarks that would form the backbone for future, highly effective, interoperable systems.  Conference attendees were encouraged to begin a PTSC-Online Forum to further their discussions toward a set of interoperable standards that would also accord with the CSA Z1600 standard that is driving EM/BC professionals today.

The CITIG is at the early stage today in the standards discussion.  The group, although deadly serious about public safety, need some assistance with the development of an appropriate set of standards that are specific to interoperability but also consistent with the CSA Z1600 standard for emergency management as these two worlds must co-exist.  Reach out and touch someone at the CITIG and encourage them to begin a PTSC-Online Forum that will guide their deliberations in the future.  You can virtually reach out and touch Lance Valcour, the lead guy at www.citig.ca. He could use the wisdom of the PTSC-Online Community to make sure that when CITIG implements a standard for interoperability among Canada's 1^st Responders, those standards will be developed not just for the ability for police to talk to fire or EMS during an incident but also that they are developed in concert with the great work that has gone on to date in developing the CSA Z1600 regime.

For more information on the CATA VOF, link directly to www.cata.ca