“PACE – Getting to C&E and Back: An Emergency Communications Story “The briefing will start with a brief initial review of Primary, Alternate, Contingent, and Emergency (PACE) communication philosophy and how ‘Contingency’ and Emergency’ are not meant to be fully functional complex communication systems, but reliable, temporary solutions to continue operations until an agency can return to ‘Primary’ and ‘Alternate’. The Emergency Management Communications from the EMD team will brief the history of the CEMNET system and the current condition/state of that network for use as alternate communications/emergency communications and the role of other emerging technologies like MCPTT, ES Chat, Bridge4Public Safety, etc. The organizational structure of emergency communication within the state will be illustrated to include ESF 2, government to government emergency communications and amateur radio operations supporting incident response and recovery operations.
The focus of the brief will shift to the Shared Resources (SHARES) High Frequency (HF) Radio program and Winlink; focusing on how we have implemented this for emergency communications across the state and describe how they operate and why they are viable solutions for “C” of the PACE plan. Prior to opening for questions and conversations with the audience we will discuss the intended path forward for emergency communications and present examples of how SHARES and Winlink has been used effectively for large scale response efforts during the recent 2024 Hurricane Helene and Milton responses by the states of North Carolina and Florida.
What Will the Audience Learn:
The objectives of the briefing will be:
1. Get emergency management and their communication teams to reflect on their own PACE plans as well as understanding the SEOCs PACE;
2. Gain an understanding of how SHARES and WINLINK can provide emergency communications for limited data use during times of need to a point where they implement it into their plans;
3. Have an overall idea of the direction of emergency communications in the state; and4. Understand the roles and structure of emergency Comms (SWIC, ESF 2 at the state enterprise level, SEOC Communications Unit, SEOC Alert and Warning Center) so they make the connections, and we expand the overall network.
Course Level: Intermediate
About the Presenters
Scott Dakers, Disaster Emergency Communications Lead
Scott is an experienced and dedicated professional specializing in disaster communications and emergency management. He currently serves as the Disaster Emergency Communications Lead for Washington State Emergency Management (WA EMD), where he oversees critical communications systems during disaster response efforts. Scott is also a certified Communications Unit Leader (COML) and Communications Unit Coordinator (COMC) at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), playing a pivotal role in coordinating emergency communications for the state.
In addition to his work at WA EMD, Scott is the CISA SHARES Regional Coordinator for FEMA Region X, managing vital communications infrastructure and protocols across the region. He also serves as the WA EMD/SHARES Winlink Radio Messaging Station (RMS) Operations Coordinator, providing essential radio messaging capabilities to support emergency response operations.
Jon Lee, Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC)
Washington State Emergency Management Division | Emergency Communications Unit
Jon is the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) and ESF-2 Lead for the State EOC, driving emergency communications interoperability at national, state, and local levels. He leads efforts to enhance communications infrastructure, governance, and technology integration, ensuring seamless coordination among first responders and public safety agencies.
With expertise in emergency communications, public safety broadband, land mobile radio (LMR), and disaster response coordination, Jon works with key stakeholders to implement the State Communication Interoperability Plan (SCIP), a strategic roadmap that guides the enhancement of emergency communications interoperability, governance, technology, and coordination among public safety agencies across jurisdictions.