Homeland Security to bolster intergovernmental communications

The Homeland Security Department in the "near future" plans to deploy better technologies to strengthen communications among federal, state and local officials, a top official said on Friday.

Frank Libutti, Homeland Security's undersecretary for information analysis and infrastructure protection, said the department plans to refine technology used in its current operations center and deploy an integrated communications system to share information with state and local officials.

The technology will include hardware and software, he told reporters after a speech to state emergency-management officials in Washington. During his remarks, Libutti also encouraged states to develop their own "information fusion centers" that could communicate with the federal government.

Libutti said the current federal operation center does not need fixed, but the department plans to improve the system to more rapidly observe and respond to homeland security situations. Currently, the center supports Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and his deputies, including Libutti, by providing information and situational awareness, but it does not provide a "common operational picture" across the department, Libutti said.

As head of the information analysis and infrastructure protection division, the department's "intelligence arm," Libutti said he is charged with sharing information. He said his mantra for sharing data with emergency and law enforcement officials is, "When in doubt, get it out."

To better communicate with state and local authorities, Libutti said the department "fairly soon" also plans to offer an integrated communications system to get information "out on the street." He said that his division currently sends teams to high-risk cities and states but that the communications network will "accelerate the system."

Libutti also addressed the debate over giving more state and local authorities security clearance to receive sensitive information about threats from federal law enforcement agencies. How federal officials classify information "needs to be re-examined," he said, adding that "not everybody thinks the way I do."

Libutti said he would fight to change the system.