Guidance for Planning, Design, and Operations of Airport Communications Centers (2018)

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Introduction 11 1.5 Current Communications Center Models ACCs may be challenging to design and build. Each airport is unique in terms of location, existing infrastructure, aircraft and passenger traffic, operational environment, and other issues; each airport operator has its own ideas of how to manage ACC-type functions and integrate them with airport IT assets; and each airport has different staffing and budgetary issues that define and limit the extent to which an ACC can be configured and supported. No solution addresses all these issues, but there are many good examples which should be assessed when considering planning for a new ACC or expanding an existing ACC. The most commonly found ACC models are as follows: • Airport Operations Center (AOC). This facility is typically concerned with airfield move- ments, including ramp and gate management. An AOC is the focal point for daily airport operational functions and issues including, but not limited to, maintenance of the airfield, runway surface, lighting, and the management of terminal facilities and fueling facilities. An AOC can include control over gate operations and aircraft maintenance areas. In some facilities, an AOC may also encompass other landside operations such as traffic and parking operations. Generally, this will be a 24/7/365 operation although, in smaller facilities, the AOC may close for a period when operations at the facility stop or are infrequent. The AOC’s design should support the CONOPS for airport operations, including linking the SOC and EOC in the event of an incident, because many security events will profoundly affect the continuing daily operations of the airport. The AOC manages rou- tine work that is essentially the same every day, with occasional emergency response activities. Finally, AOCs may include monitoring building functions such as building automation and asset and maintenance management. Figure 1-3. Airport communications/command and control center mission escalation.

12 Guidance for Planning, Design, and Operations of Airport Communications Centers • Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Although primarily concerned with incidents that directly affect airport operations, EOCs may also address events such as large gatherings, natu- ral disasters, or civil disorders, which occur beyond the airport but may involve both airport and non-airport organizations. The airport-related functions and communications of an EOC are found in the Airport Emergency Plan [FAA Advisory Circular 150-5200-31]. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may be in a permanently established facility. If the local community has established its own EOC, then the airport may maintain a Department Operations Center (DOC) which works with and under the community EOC. The airport EOC/DOC focuses on managing emergencies. Depending on the scale of the incident or event requiring activation, the airport EOC/DOC may be linked to local, state, or regional EOCs, to obtain or provide support. An EOC is often not occupied until it is “activated” when an incident occurs. In addition, EOC technology infrastructure is (1) often designed to accommodate internal and external personnel who may not be familiar with the systems that support the EOC and (2) scalable for a sudden influx of people when emergencies occur. • Security Operations Center (SOC). This is the term used in the Transportation Security Admin- istration’s (TSA’s) Recommended Security Guidelines for Airport Planning, Design, and Construc- tion and in the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) Standards for Airport Security Access Control Systems. A SOC is often the key element in an ACC because of its specialty equipment and communication capabilities in addition to its responsibilities for maintaining a safe environment, which includes responding to security and emergency incidents. A SOC is the focal point for airport security monitoring, command and control, and com- munications functions. Generally, a SOC will be a 24/7/365 operation, staffed and designed pursuant to the guidance of the Airport Security Program (ASP). These functions often involve sensitive security information (SSI) or other law enforcement restricted material such as “Official Use Only,” or “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) alerts for which dissemination requires special controls. The SOC functions may include – Collecting information from many sources to provide situational awareness for command personnel. Enhancing situational awareness is a major objective. A SOC can be designed to leverage multiple communication links throughout the airport, including police, fire/rescue, airport operations, off-airport emergency assistance, and secure communication channels to federal, state, and local agencies, and may be used to coordinate the action of such agen- cies and airport personnel. – Coordinating security functions with other command and control functions, including physical or virtual links with other operations [e.g., AOC, EOC and Incident Command Post(s) (ICP)]. Careful consideration of who has authority to shift views or otherwise control CCTV operations should be developed by key personnel. There is considerable dif- ference between observation, influencing change, taking over control, and command responsibility for committing resources. – Serving as a Police Dispatch Center, which may be integral to the SOC. In these centers, operators dispatch a range of public safety resources, including police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. These may be resources controlled solely by the airport operator or may be resources provided by and, in some cases, shared with the surrounding community. Dispatch functions in larger operations often use CAD software. In dispatch- ing, whether through the use of CAD or not, operators are often responsible for functions identified with a SOC. – A different version of a SOC may be maintained by the airport’s IT department. This version focuses on the cybersecurity of the airport, its network, applications, data and any physical component that makes up the technology environment of the airport. A SOC is also termi- nology used in an IT environment for a cybersecurity center where networks and applica- tions are monitored in much the same way as with physical security. • Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), sometimes also called a Public Safety Access Point. A PSAP is typically a call center responsible for answering calls to an emergency telephone

Introduction 13 number (usually 9-1-1) for police, firefighters, and ambulances, and is staffed by trained tele- phone operators who are responsible for dispatching these emergency services. The establish- ment of a PSAP carries with it a separate set of regulatory requirements that apply nationwide to emergency 9-1-1 call-taking operations. A registered PSAP operation is subject to stan- dards for answering calls and dispatch operations. There are also funding streams open to PSAPs that are unavailable to non-PSAP call-taking operations. A PSAP may also provide 9-1-1 service to areas outside the airport perimeter. PSAPs are set up to receive and process emergency calls and event notifications for a specific area. A PSAP may dispatch public safety personnel such as police, fire, and EMS in response to calls for service and should be able to accommodate additional operators during emergency situations. • ICP. An ICP may have several responsibilities and will likely not be a fixed location because it may be co-located with other responder facilities as an incident evolves or may be a mobile facility. The ICP is often at or near the scene of an event or incident. An ICP may be integrated into the Police Dispatch Center or associated with an EOC. Some of an ICP’s response func- tions may also be performed by an AOC. The ICP is generally operated in connection with the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS). • Fusion Center. This facility is designed to integrate multiple organizations in a single facil- ity to encourage cross-agency collaboration. Fusion centers are typically used by government agencies to collaborate on intelligence issues that are not easily communicated via more formal channels of communication. Multiple agencies can collaborate to provide resources, exper- tise, and information to the Center with the goal of maximizing the ability to detect, prevent, investigate, analyze, and respond to criminal and emergency activity. The airport is often a participant/user rather than the host agency. • Hybrid ACCs. The hybrid model is the most common. It includes various functions and pro- cesses from some or all of the above models. As an airport develops its CONOPS, it will choose from among these models and develop its own approach. (A more descriptive outline of a hybrid ACC is included in Section 1.6 below.) 1.6 Virtual, Single-Function, and Multi-Function Centers Examination of the user requirements for airports of varying size and complexity presents a range of options for the design and configuration of communications centers. Although “ACCs” may suggest images of a single physical location supporting a multi-function operation with multiple workstations, video display walls, and complex technology solutions, this may not be the best approach for every airport, especially small airports. Each airport management team must choose a direction that works for its own specific environment. There are six key factors in determining the appropriate configuration of the communica- tions center: • The CONOPS, as developed specifically for that airport’s operational environment • Local conditions and operational preferences defined by stakeholder user requirements • Legacy and planned technology systems and applications • Existing organizational structure • Available funding • Input from the non-airport communities When seeking an appropriate model for an ACC for any given airport, the optimal solution depends on the individual physical and operational characteristics of the existing legacy sys- tems and the desired operational state as determined by user requirements of the stakeholders in developing the Concept of Operations. There is no single one-size-fits-all solution; in fact, several equally valid solutions with somewhat different configurations, different priorities, or different degrees of integration may exist.

14 Guidance for Planning, Design, and Operations of Airport Communications Centers 1.6.1 Virtual ACC Configuration A virtual configuration is a multi-function ACC not housed physically in one location. This may be necessary for various reasons, most typically because no single structure is available that possesses all of the physical attributes needed. However, there could also be geographic dispersion concerns where multiple airport sites are spread over a large geographic area and it is not possible to choose one single site. In this case, the ACC is physically dispersed in various locations, each in a separate structure, connected virtually through advanced communications. Virtual communication—which allows sharing of audio, video, and other content in real-time online—is a growing presence in the airport environment made possible by traditional technol- ogy tools, such as video and audio conferencing, and an airport’s desktop infrastructure (email, phone). Virtual communication is encouraged because of the growing reliance on mobile devices such as Geographic Information System (GIS)-enabled smartphones and tablets, using safety management system (SMS) messaging, Skype, and other advanced communication features. With the proper communication environment in place, an airport operator can maintain constant communication with various geographic locations and staff resources without being physically co-located. 1.6.2 Single-Function ACC A single-function ACC focuses on a single operation, generally limited to basic communica- tions channels and technology. For example, airfield operations could be the sole function. A single-function ACC is (1) typically found at smaller airports, (2) dedicated to a specific set of communication requirements, and (3) generally operates as a separate physical and operational facility. A single-function ACC will typically include the following: • Telephone services (switched or Voice over Internet Protocol) • Public information and courtesy calls • Paging • Radio dispatch • Voice and/or data services for coordinating on-airport operating staff In most scenarios, this will be a relatively small facility, requiring limited technology beyond basic communications and monitoring capability and staff and providing limited situational awareness. For a smaller, less complex airport, a single function ACC may be the most cost-effective and event-responsive solution. This approach is less costly in terms of staffing, technology, and space, and requires less training in terms of number of systems, policies, technical understanding, and proficiency. The downside of single function ACCs, especially as operations become more complex, is the risk of compartmentalizing the operations and information. This can be addressed with strong organizational and operational practices, but there is always the risk of a lack of situational aware- ness or delays in communication or collaboration. Another disadvantage is the consequences of decisions made in a “stovepipe” environment, i.e., without a full range of necessary information, communication, and coordination. 1.6.3 Partial Multi-Function Configuration ACC Partial integration of an ACC introduces a range of possible scenarios and will typically include a combination of operational and technical integration. In this model, more than one airport

Introduction 15 organization, but not all, will be physically co-located for better collaboration, information sharing, and decision-making. For example, operational activities such as facility and building management and airside and landside operations may happen in a single location. In the partial configuration, typically the level of communication increases as different tech- nology solutions are brought into a common center. This situation often results in an operations console configuration with multiple workstations providing visibility and management of a range of different systems. A partial configuration can be beneficial at several levels. It can be applied to existing spaces and staffing operations that have limited capacity to expand or incorporate new systems and personnel. It can also be used to migrate a purely communications-focused facility and opera- tion to a broader range of responsibilities, without full integration. For example, an ACC with monitoring capability and managing all security and life safety alarms requires a relatively simple level of technical integration, while providing a great deal more information to the ACC staff and end users. Similarly, adding dispatch for security, fire, and life safety personnel can be accomplished by either adding a CAD system or providing read- access to the CAD—this requires only a modest level of technical integration and additional training, without putting significantly greater demands on space or personnel. A partial configuration can serve as an interim step toward full integration, allowing the air- port operator to move in a set of reasonable, well-planned steps over time toward a more com- plex operation if and when wanted. This approach allows for a measured process, with funding, training, integration, and other steps being accomplished along a multi-year plan, and dimin- ishes the potential disruption of the facility, the airport, and operations. This approach also minimizes human factors that often create resistance to changing environments and may serve as a proof of concept to validate each element planned, one step at a time. One of the challenges with this approach is to have a sufficiently clear long-term plan to allow the initial configuration to support and integrate with future developments in terms of technol- ogy, space, operations, funding, and people. The disadvantages inherent in a partial configuration are the continued need to coordinate and collaborate with other non-integrated facilities (e.g., law enforcement, media relations, or conces- sion management) and resource inefficiencies inherent in the redundant staffing requirements. 1.6.4 Full Multi-Function Configuration ACC Full integration of the ACC is generally an aggregation within a single location and normally adds a second backup location with full operational capability. In essence, the ACC becomes an overall centralized command and control center. Typically, this means the facility will handle the following: • Communications center functions • Security monitoring and dispatch • Life safety, i.e., police, fire and medical • Facility and building management systems, maintenance • Airside operations • Landside and terminal operations • Parking management • Paging, lost-and-found • Gate management • Mutual-aid coordination • Irregular operations