(1) The State Chief Information Officer shall establish and fill a full-time equivalent position for a statewide interoperability coordinator to serve as the central coordination point for the Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan and, through coordination and collaboration with agencies and entities in the emergency response community, to implement the interoperability plan.

(2) The statewide interoperability coordinator:

(a) Is the primary staff support provided by the State Chief Information Officer for the State Interoperability Executive Council created under ORS § 403.450;

(b) Shall assist the executive council in conducting and submitting annual updates to the interoperability plan, in coordination and collaboration with the emergency responders in this state;

(c) Shall ensure that the interoperability plan aligns with and supports the Enterprise Information Resources Management Strategy;

(d) Shall identify funding opportunities for planned interoperability improvements and coordinate efforts to acquire funding;

(e) Shall engage stakeholders to coordinate strategic interoperability plans;

(f) Shall serve as a member of the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators; and

(g) Shall represent the State of Oregon in local, regional and national efforts to plan and implement changes required to ensure communications operability, interoperability and continuity of communications for emergency responders in this state.

(3) Public bodies, as defined in ORS § 174.109, that own or operate public safety communications infrastructure may collaborate and coordinate the public bodies’ efforts and investments to achieve the statewide interoperability goal the executive council sets and implement the interoperability plan the executive council approves.

(4) Under the direction of the executive council and the State Chief Information Officer, the statewide interoperability coordinator may mediate disputes between public bodies collaborating to implement interoperable public safety communications systems. [Formerly 401.874; 2010 c.107 § 61; 2014 c.87 § 7; 2015 c.807 § 50]

Section 1, chapter 825, Oregon Laws 2005, provides:

(1) The Oregon Legislative Assembly finds and declares that:

(a) The public safety communications infrastructure of the State of Oregon requires ongoing operations and maintenance to support continuing functionality and to accommodate evolving technology;

(b) The adopted policies and standards and specific deadlines mandated by the Federal Communications Commission required replacement of statewide public safety communications infrastructure in the State of Oregon;

(c) The reliability of public safety communications infrastructure during day-to-day public safety operations and during man-made and natural disasters is crucial to saving lives and property and to protecting the public;

(d) The condition of our public safety communications systems is of continuing concern because it is critical to the safety and well-being of the residents of the State of Oregon who depend upon lifesaving communications systems used by first responders;

(e) It is in the public interest of Oregonians to plan for improvement of the public safety communications infrastructure to ensure long-term stability and functionality as communications systems technology evolves; and

(f) Federal funding for homeland security may be available to facilitate all or part of the development and implementation of a plan for improvement of the public safety communications infrastructure in the State of Oregon.

(2) The Legislative Assembly further finds and declares that:

(a) Title XVIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, requires the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications, to develop and update a National Emergency Communications Plan to ensure that emergency responders at all levels of government and across disciplines can communicate as needed, on demand and as authorized.

(b) The national plan:

(A) Identifies the capabilities and initiatives needed for communications operability, interoperability and continuity of communications for emergency responders nationwide.

(B) Sets strategic goals and identifies national objectives to enhance governance, planning, technology, training and exercises and disaster communications capabilities.

(C) Provides recommendations and milestones to guide emergency responders and government officials.

(c) As a condition of eligibility for future homeland security grants for communication interoperability initiatives, each state is required to establish a statewide communication interoperability plan and annually update the interoperability plan.

(d) The Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan is the statewide communication interoperability plan for the State of Oregon that has received the approval of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Emergency Communications.

(e) The employment of a full-time equivalent statewide interoperability coordinator is necessary and appropriate for facilitating implementation of the interoperability plan.

(3) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, the Legislative Assembly finds and declares that it is the policy of the State of Oregon:

(a) To ensure interoperable communications among all state, local, tribal and federal public safety agencies.

(b) To meet Federal Communications Commission mandates.

(4) The Legislative Assembly further finds and declares that:

(a) The communications infrastructure of the State Forestry Department:

(A) Meets the policies and standards mandated by the Federal Communications Commission;

(B) Is compatible with the communications infrastructure utilized by other federal and state agencies and private partners that are primarily responsible for responding to wildland fire emergencies; and

(C) Does not require conversion to meet interoperability requirements of the interoperability plan.

(b) The State Forestry Department shall continue to partner with, advise and seek shared efficiencies with other public safety agencies regarding implementation of the interoperability plan. [2005 c.825 § 1; 2011 c.402 § 1; 2014 c.87 § 2]