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UICDS™ keeps you better informed so you can make better decisions. UICDS is information sharing middleware for NIMS incident management that continuously receives and shares standardized data among many agencies during an incident. Your everyday application gets from UICDS exactly the data you need to use, visualize, process, improve, decide, and then share back through UICDS to keep everyone informed.
Because UICDS is middleware, there is no new user interface to learn, no cost to obtain it, and you retain complete control over your data. You get notified when an agency has provided new or updated incident data and you share your data with whom you want instantaneously and in the background without any disruption to your operation.
With UICDS you are better informed, your partners are better informed, and together you all make better response decisions.
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Watch
UICDS The Movie
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Get UICDS Free from the Department of Homeland Security
Apply to be a UICDS Pilot and get your own complete UICDS installation, including support, to improve your information sharing. Make your request now. |
Learn All About UICDS Interoperability Middleware in Just Two Minutes
Your time is valuable, so here it is in a nutshell.
UICDS is middleware to share information among applications used by all levels of government and critical infrastructure to manageincidents. UICDS has no end-user interface, so there is no training or new applications to buy.
You should care about UICDS if you manage emergencies or provide technologies to those who manage emergencies.
Click here for a two minute video introduction of UICDS from the UICDS.us website. |
Follow UICDS on LinkedIn
UICDS is now on LinkedIn, the premier business-related social networking site. The site is self-described as the "unofficial UICDS discussion group" among Technology Providers and End-Users. To join the discussion group,  |
| UICDS Contacts
General Information
uicds@dhs.gov
DHS S&T Program Manager Michael B. Smith Email Now DHS S&T Program Support Tomi` Finkle Email Now UICDS Project Manager Chip Mahoney Email Now UICDS Outreach Director James W. Morentz, Ph.D. Email Now |
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UICDS™ is a Trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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UICDS Update
The Department of Homeland Security Information Sharing Technology Program
In this issue ...
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 In Search of a Resource Typing Schema is Topic for October 27th Biweekly Call and Tutorial at Noon
Our next biweekly call will address a need that was identified by Aaron Lieb, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), one of the long-time participants in UICDS. He posed this question to the UICDS community a few weeks ago: Where do we get a resource typing schema?
On our call on October 27th, Aaron will be discussing why the development community is in need of a resource typing schema. And how to get it.
This is not the NIMS Resource Typing that is an on-going effort supported by DHS. That represents the content of resource names and types. Rather, Aaron will be talking about the need for a schema into which this content is placed in a computer format.
OASIS® and EDXL Examples
The examples coming from OASIS for using the Emergency Data Exchange Language-Resource Messaging (EDXL-RM) TypeStructure and TypeInformation element have largely had place holder information such as the type structure: urn:x-hazard:vocab:resourceTypes - which seems to be something used for the purpose of an example. The documentation from OASIS explains that the community of interest that wishes to share Resource information needs to come up with an agreed upon schema, which application interfaces on all sides of an information sharing exchange will be able to understand like an IPAWS COG, UICDS Core, or other message routers, etc.
Getting to This Point
In researching the schema, Aaron discovered an example of a resource typing schema that was developed as part of the FEMA IRIS resource system. From the IRIS User's Guide (see documentation below), Aaron derived a resource typing schema that he is offering as a starting point for discussion. Aaron's version is linked below.
The specification seems to capture the type of information that would be relevant for implementing NIMS typing through UICDS - making this structure a very strong candidate for standardizing how type information should be defined when constructing EDXL-RM messages (see linked document below).
Future Requirements
Aaron suggests that the UICDS community is one place that can participate in the ongoing discussion regarding resource typing schemas. Ultimately there will be an official stamp of approval through NIEM, OASIS, FEMA, or others, but until then, the UICDS community can contribute to the discussion.
Aaron has put together a schema that follows all the available recommended structures. He will discuss the schema and listen to ideas on how to take it (or anything else) forward to the appropriate bodies.
Homework?
To read up on some of the issues about resource typing and to see the draft schema Aaron is offering up for discussion, you may download the following documents:
So join us on the UICDS Biweekly Call and Tutorial on October 27 to hear, learn, and contribute.
To join the tutorial and our biweekly call:
Call 800-366-7242 and use code 735108 at noon ET.
Web Collaboration: www.saic.com/customer/datax/
Conference Reference: 601203
Attendee PIN: 1143 |
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Common Operational Data: A New Way of Thinking About Information Sharing Through UICDS Tutorial is Now Available on UICDS.us Collaboration Portal
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Through UICDS, applications exchange incident decision-support data and with no additional effort any COP can consume and visualize Common Operational Data from UICDS. |
UICDS pilots across the country have been demonstrating the importance of composing the same data for different operational missions. Across federal, state, and local governments as well as private-sector critical infrastructure and non-governmental volunteer organizations, lessons learned from the pilots is that UICDS information sharing succeeds in providing "common operational data" for emergency management decision-making - no matter how the data is visualized, whether in a detailed, mission-specific application or a general geospatial COP.
The phrase "common operational data" (COD) represents the universe of relevant incident data from which is configured the perfect COP for a specific organization. UICDS achieves COD because it delivers, first and foremost, ubiquitous information exchange among incident management technologies. UICDS creates many-to-many, incident-specific, agreement-based information sharing. By delivering this agency-to-agency incident knowledge to improve tactical decisions, UICDS manages the content in an incident repository to enable construction a COP for strategic monitoring and decisions. The UICDS COD assures that a distinctive operational mission can be supported by a distinctive COP by providing the same critical incident data in different views to support operations.
Important Resource Documents
Two important documents were discussed which support the idea of COD. The first was prepared by the Geospatial Management Office of the Department of Homeland Security. Common Operating Data (COD) Requirements for the National Response Plan (NRP) is the result of a study to identify the COD needs of each of the Emergency Support Functions. This is an excellent guide to what needs to be done to bridge between static base map data and dynamic, transactional incident data such as that which moves through UICDS.
The second document is the UICDS Data Exchange Workbook for UICDS v1.1.1. This is a tool for "identifying and prioritizing UICDS data exchange to achieve Common Operational Data." The guide walks you through the various UICDS Work Products and identifies all required and optional data entitites. It then provides a way to begin to define data exchanges by answering the question "Who has data to share?"
View the Common Operational Data Tutorial
This UICDS Tutorial and Biweekly Call is now available on the UICDS Collaboration Portal for you to see and hear the video recorded discussion on Common Operational Data. |
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Cell-All Demonstration Includes UICDS as Connection to Incident Management Operations
UICDS was recently part of a demonstration of Cell-All, a Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) effort to equip cell phones with a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals at minimal cost. Combining the efforts of several companies and government agencies, the Cell-All project will embed sensor in cell phones in order to detect a problem and alert authorities automatically.
Detection, identification, and notification all take place in
 | | Stephen Dennis, Technical Director of HSARPA in DHS S&T explains the importance of the Cell-All initiative. |
less than 60 seconds. Because the data are delivered digitally, Cell-All reduces the chance of human error. And by activating alerts from many people at once, Cell-All cleverly avoids the longstanding problem of false positives.
The role that UICDS played in the demonstration was to disseminate the alert information to incident management software that operations in emergency operations centers. In the demonstration, UICDS delivered notification of the Cell-All alert (originally a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message) to NC4's ETeam™ application software.
The end result: emergency responders can get to the scene sooner and cover a larger area-essentially anywhere people are-casting a wider net than stationary sensors can.
In addition to NC4, three teams from Qualcomm, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Synkera Technology worked together on the demonstration.
NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA developed a proof of concept of new technology that would bring compact, low-cost, low-power, high-speed nanosensor-based chemical sensing capabilities to cell phones. The device is about the size of a postage stamp and is designed to be plugged in to an iPhone to collect, process and transmit sensor data. The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The NASA presentation is available here.
Synkera Technologies has been funded by the Department
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Chief Rose of the Los Angeles Fire Department introduces the Cell-All demonstration.
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of Homeland Security to develop sensors that are suitable for integration into cell phones and other ubiquitous electronic devices carried by first responders and the public at large. Synkera has developed a novel type of chemical gas microsensor, the MikroKera™ Ultra, which features extremely small footprint and low power consumption, making it possible to incorporate chemical sensing functionality in a wide variety of devices and electronics, just as is done today with cameras, microphones, GPS, and motion sensing.
Qualcomm has been at the forefront of wireless communications - pioneering efforts in cellular standards and microelectronics design, broadband data, encryption and value-added end-user applications for cell phones. The Government Technologies division, in leveraging its wireless expertise, innovative technologies and vast industry reach, provides solutions that enable our government customers to realize significant technology gains and excellence in mission performance. The Qualcomm presentation is available here.
NC4 Situational Readiness solutions provide organizations with a common operating picture to support continuity of operations. NC4 takes a comprehensive and integrated approach to both crisis management and security by focusing on the three main components of Situational Readiness:
- Situational Awareness to support operational risk management with the NC4 Risk Center™ and NC4 Mission Center Global Situational Awareness™ offerings
- Situational Response with E Team and E*SPONDER incident management applications
- Secure Communication and Collaboration through ESP and NC4 Mission Center Extended Edition™ solutions
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Apple® iPad® and iPhone® UICDS Mobile Apps Example Code Now Available to Download
Example code is developed by the UICDS Team for developers to download and make their own in their own applications. We are pleased to make available the UICDS Mobile App Example Code for the Apple® iPhone® and iPad®.
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The UICDS iPad App bring EOC knowledge to your fingertips. |
The iPad and iPhone mobile apps are derived from the same example code which is available for download by registered UICDS Technology Providers. The example code, as seen in the illustration, provides the following capabilities:
- The base display is a map centered on your current location showing Incidents and Alerts
- Display list of Incidents and Alerts independently
- Display text description (contained in a UICDS Work Product) of any Incident or Alert
- Highlight an Incident or Alert shown on the map and see brief summary information in a pop-up box
- Display selected Incidents or Alerts on a map from the list
- Display polygon graphics associated with a CAP Alert on the map
- Display Open Geospatial Consortium standard Web Mapping Service map overlays associated with an Incident on the map
Use your access credentials for UICDS iPad and iPhone App Example Code Download.
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UICDS Mobile App for Android Example Code Available for Download
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UICDS on the Android
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Just as we have provided lots of example code for web application developers to download and make their own, we now release the example code for Android phones.
Among the features included in this first release of UICDS Mobile Apps for Android are:
- Display list of Incidents
- Display list of Alerts
- Display text description (contained in a UICDS Work Product) of any Incident or Alert
- Display all Incidents or Alerts on a map
- Highlight an Incident or Alert shown on the map and see brief summary information in a pop-up box
- Display selected Incidents or Alerts on a map
- Display polygon graphics associated with a CAP Alert on the map
- Display Open Geospatial Consortium standard Web Mapping Service map overlays associated with an Incident on the map
Use your access credentials to download the Android Example Code.
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Tomcat™ Security Patch Now Available for UICDS
A security vulnerability was identified in Tomcat, the web server used in a UICDS installation. Tomcat released version 7.0.19 to improve security. In order to accommodate this Tomcat update, UICDS has released a patch that is now available for download. All the details are in the accompanying "Readme" file that downloads with the patch.
Use your UICDS access credentials to download the Tomcat security patch.
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Become a UICDS Pilot - Yours from DHS
Tired of watching and want to get involved? Are you a government agency that knows you shoud share information better? Critical infrastructure owner/operator in need of coordination with governments? Technology provider who wants to better serve emergency management and response organizations?
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Use the UICDS Development Kit To Win Contracts that Require UICDS Compliance
Recently, the State of California and the State of West Virginia both issued requests for proposals that called for UICDS compliance as a condition of the contract. Feeling left behind?
Now there is a guide to what it means to "comply" with UICDS. Get the new UICDS Compliance Overview report to see the details. And you can see and listen to the UICDS Compliance Tutorial about compliance with UICDS v 1.1 on the UICDS Collaboration Portal. If this is you ... and you don't want to be excluded from future bids ... just answer a few questions to get the UICDS Development Kit and example code to build your UICDS Adapter today. Get started by clicking here. |
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Mobile Apps Discussion Group Formed on UICDS Collaboration Portal
The popularity of mobile apps for UICDS has led us to establish a separate discussion group for mobile apps developers and users on the UICDS Collaboration Portal. Use the discussion group to ask questions, make comments, and provide answers. The discussion group is monitored by the UICDS Team and you can get answers from them about any questions you have. As well, you can dialogue with your fellow developers.
There are discussion groups for Apple® iPhone® and iPad® as well as for Android® apps.
There also is a separate discussion for end-users to discuss how they are applying mobile apps to their incident operations.
So, ask questions and get answers from the UICDS Team as well as discuss with your colleagues by joining the UICDS Mobile Apps Discussion Group. |
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