In May 2009, Randel Zeller, Director of Interagency and First Responder Programs at DHS Science & Technology and his colleagues published the “First Responder Capstone IPT.”  In it, they site a critical capability gap that still lingers for first responders: communicating when regular infrastructure is unavailable.

On page 74, you’ll find the following real-world example of an operational requirement describing a solution to fill this critical gap:

“The second primary requirement that must be in place to meet the mission of this ORD is human portable resilient communication systems that can provide connectivity to the interoperability framework. These systems will be in a kit form that has everything a FERP needs, to be hand-carried to the incident site, transported by car, helicopter or small watercraft. The kit must be able to provide voice, video and data communication peer-to-peer among FERPs at the incident site as well as capability across any available network. If normal network infrastructure is unavailable, the kit will contain a broadband satellite system to insure connectivity beyond the incident site. The Resilient Portable Communications Kit (RPCK) will be easy to setup and in operation in 10 to 20 minutes by any FERP. The kit will require zero technical support to setup. The RPCK must seamlessly participate in an expanding system of systems. The kit will be available in multiple form factors providing EROs the flexibility to have kits carried by hand in cases, mounted in vehicles, installed in mobile EOCs or any other type of response apparatus. If an ERO needs to support large-scale recovery operations, the RPCK will be modifiable to meet the requirement of the ERO.”

Yep – that’s an OODAkit. Except it only takes 5 to 10 minutes to get it up and running.

OODAkits have been successfully deployed by the U.S. Forest Service for wildfire response and were field proven as instrumental in disaster response earlier this year in Port-au-Prince.

Abbreviations Used in the Quote
ERO: Emergency Response Organization
FERP: First Emergency Response Provider
IPT: Integrated Product Team
ORD: Operational Requirements Document

What is the DHS First Responder IPT?

The First Responder IPT was established in early 2009. This Capstone IPT coordinates the identification and prioritization of the capability gaps, and the creation of detailed operational requirements of the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial first responders.

That’s what OODA stands for. It’s a term coined by Colonel John R. Boyd (January 23, 1927 – March 9, 1997; pictured right), a United States Air Force fighter pilot and military strategist, whose theories have influenced both military and business strategies.

He used the term “OODA Loop” to describe the process that individuals and organizations use to react to events. The key to success is the creation of situations where one can make appropriate decisions more rapidly than others.

Whether your adversary is Mother Nature or the business down the block, with OODAlink you can access the information you need most —exactly when you need it —so you can prevail in even the most difficult situations.

OODAlink was founded to help people and organi­za­tions implement their own “OODA Loops” to quickly understand what is going on (Observe and Orient), know what to do (Decide), and be able to do it (Act) — all the while learning from the experience (Loop).

We do so by producing easy-to-use satellite-based solutions (OODAkits) for commu­ni­cat­ing when tradi­tional networks aren’t available.

The end result is greater peace of mind—from staying connected to those most impor­tant to you—whether they’re customers, colleagues, partners, suppli­ers, friends, or family.

Key to surviving his ordeal was communicating with his fellow captives using a clever “tap code” they created. Having interviewed Bob, researcher Dennis Charney, Professor of Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, points to social support as being pivotal to human resilience:

“Everybody needs a tap code. Everybody needs a way to communicate with other people to get through tough times.“

This is precisely why we developed the OODAkit – a tap code for the 21st century.