The Post-Katrina Act established the RECCWGs and requires each  group:  to assess local emergency communications systems to meet goals of  the National Emergency Communications Plan,  to ensure a coordination process for multijurisdictional and multi- agency emergency communications networks through the expanded  use of mutual aid agreements for emergency-management and  public-safety communications, and  to coordinate support services and networks designed to address  immediate needs in responding to disasters, acts of terrorism and  other manmade disasters. These  challenges included achieving the interoperability of communication  systems, obtaining funding, ensuring ongoing training, and increasing the  emphasis on communications during emergency response exercises. Technical Challenges

Interoperability challenges can exist due to technical issues such as  equipment’s incompatibility. Stakeholders in two of our case study locations, Los Angeles and Boston,  told us that first responders continue to need training after investments  are made in new interoperable communications equipment, posing an  ongoing need for training. Another regional group  leader told us that funding is a challenge in that travel money is very  limited. Stakeholders Indicated DHS’s Technical Assistance and Grants Have Enhanced Emergency Communications in Their Regions

		Technical Assistance

Technical assistance, including guidance and training, is one of OEC’s  main responsibilities, and while FEMA does provide certain technical  assistance, it is not the agency’s primary responsibility. FEMA offers training related to emergency communications, such as  various courses on emergency management topics. FEMA also has  10 regional emergency communications coordinators who are  responsible for providing assistance on an as-needed basis to their  respective regions and coordinating FEMA’s tactical communications  support during a disaster or emergency. Five stakeholders  we interviewed for our Houston case study praised this training and said it  was critical in preparing communications personnel to respond to  Hurricane Harvey. Grant Funding

DHS administers several grant programs to help address emergency  communications challenges. Some state and local stakeholders told us that DHS grants (outlined in  table 1 above) have allowed them to build and enhance communications  capabilities that their jurisdictions would otherwise lack funding to  address. RECCWGs Have Enhanced Capabilities in Several Ways, but Collaboration across Regions Is Limited

As part of the Post-Katrina Act, Congress established the RECCWGs to  help address emergency communications issues, such as a lack of  equipment interoperability. RECCWGs Facilitate Relationship Building and Information Sharing, with Demonstrated Benefits

			Relationship Building

The RECCWGs bring together communications stakeholders from  different levels of government and the private sector, and all of these  groups have identified relationship building as a major benefit, according  to our analysis of RECCWG annual reports and interviews with these  groups’ leaders. For example, the Region X group reported in 2016 that  members shared lessons learned after declared disasters in several  states. Demonstrated Benefits

In several instances, RECCWG members have reported assisting each  other during disasters and emergencies, drawing on the relationships and  information sharing fostered by the groups. Collaboration across RECCWGs Has Been Limited

OEC’s National Emergency Communications Plan—which OEC views as  the nation’s strategic plan for this area—established a vision of enabling  the nation’s emergency response community to communicate and share  information across all levels of government, disciplines, and jurisdictions. In this work, we identified key  considerations for implementing interagency collaborative mechanisms,  such as ensuring that all relevant participants have been included. FEMA has taken some steps to encourage collaboration among  RECCWG leaders, but broader collaboration across regions remains  limited. Most RECCWG leaders (15 of 20), as well as 9 other stakeholders, told  us that more collaboration across the groups was needed. Developing and  implementing an appropriate ongoing mechanism for collaboration may  be a worthwhile investment because it could further enhance the  RECCWGs’ efforts to improve emergency communications. Without ways for all members of the RECCWGs, not just the groups’  leaders, to collaborate across regions, members may be missing  opportunities to share best practices and leverage the knowledge and  experience of their counterparts throughout the nation. The RECCWGs established by the Post- Katrina Act have enhanced emergency communications within their  regions. Recommendation for Executive Action

The Administrator of FEMA should work with RECCWG members to  reach consensus on and implement an ongoing mechanism to encourage  nationwide collaboration across these groups, considering the costs of  one or more suitable methods, such as a national-level working group  that uses virtual or other means of coordination, as appropriate.
Why GAO Did This Study

During emergencies, reliable communications are critical. Disasters, such as 2017's hurricanes, continue to test the nation's emergency communications capabilities. As disasters can cross jurisdictional boundaries, collaboration within and across regions is very important.
GAO was asked to review implementation of the Post-Katrina Act's provisions related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This report examines: (1) challenges related to emergency communications that selected stakeholders have experienced; (2) their views on DHS's emergency communications assistance; and (3) the regional working groups established by the Post-Katrina Act and their effect on emergency communications capabilities. GAO reviewed DHS's reports and grant data for fiscal years 2011–2016 and conducted case studies of three cities—Houston, Los Angeles, and Boston—selected based on the number of declared disasters, DHS grant funding, and geographic diversity. GAO interviewed DHS officials; leaders of all 10 regional working groups and other stakeholders, including public safety officials in the case study cities; and others chosen for their expertise.

What GAO Found

Selected first responders and public safety officials identified various challenges related to emergency communications. These challenges include attaining the interoperability of communication systems, obtaining funding, ensuring ongoing training, and increasing the emphasis on communications during emergency response exercises. For example, some stakeholders told GAO about challenges related to equipment that is not interoperable, and others said first responders need training after investments are made in new interoperable communications equipment.
To help address these challenges and as required by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Post-Katrina Act), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided technical assistance, such as training, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants. It has also established regional emergency communications coordination working groups, which bring together stakeholders from different levels of government and the private sector within FEMA's 10 regions.
While emergency communications challenges persist, stakeholders told GAO that DHS's technical assistance generally meets their needs and that FEMA grants have helped them enhance emergency communications capabilities. In particular, stakeholders found training for specific communications positions was useful. Houston-area officials said this training was critical in preparing first responders for Hurricane Harvey. Some stakeholders told GAO that FEMA grants helped them address needs that would otherwise go unfunded, including interoperable communications networks and equipment.
GAO found that the regional working groups have enhanced emergency communications capabilities through building relationships and sharing information. Within the respective regions, group members have:
assisted each other during disasters and emergencies,
developed technical solutions to enhance interoperability, and
addressed policy concerns, such as the use of interoperable radio channels during emergencies.
However, most regional group leaders told GAO that more collaboration across the groups was needed. GAO's prior work has also found that including all relevant participants can enhance collaborative efforts. Further, DHS's strategic plan for emergency communications established a vision of collaboration among stakeholders across the nation. While FEMA has encouraged collaboration among regional working-group leaders, cross-regional efforts have been limited and do not involve all group members. Developing and implementing an appropriate ongoing mechanism for collaboration could enhance emergency communications capabilities, such as by helping group members address common challenges. Without ways for all members of these groups to collaborate across regions, members may be missing opportunities to share information and leverage the knowledge and experiences of their counterparts throughout the nation.

What GAO Recommends

FEMA should work with regional working-group members to reach consensus and implement an ongoing mechanism, such as a national-level working group, to encourage nationwide collaboration across regions. DHS concurred with this recommendation.