CLEARINGHOUSE INFORMATION SHARING
A key Clearinghouse objective is to share observations and knowledge among emergency responders and the engineering and scientific communities, about damaging earthquakes in California. The Clearinghouse has a diverse set of stakeholders, each using tools and technologies customized to support their specific disaster response role and responsibility. In order to accomplish this goal, the Clearinghouse has been leveraging the XchangeCore (Formerly UICDS) technology. XchangeCore is the result of U. S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense development of information exchange web service data orchestration. The Clearinghouse information sharing capabilities can support providing and receiving information from Operational Area EOCs per SEMS, and at the same time, providing/receiving information from other organizations through many different applications, some of them proprietary. The Clearinghouse efforts with XchangeCore are compatible with FEMA, which is currently a SABER member using XchangeCore-provided data for the National Business Emergency Operations Center (source of business information-sharing during emergencies). In addition to response, the Clearinghouse information-sharing also supports preparedness, risk assessment/mitigation decision-making, and everyday operational needs for situational awareness.
The Clearinghouse and XchangeCore (formerly UICDS)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Geospatial Management Office (DHS GMO), Awards Clearinghouse Information Sharing Capability as GeoCONOPS Best Practice
In 2015, the success of Clearinghouse information sharing efforts received national recognition from the DHS GMO defines a Best Practice as “…a geospatial method, technique, capability or resource that provides superior support to the mission; and is used by the geospatial community as a benchmark for success.”
Clearinghouse Information Sharing Efforts and USGS HayWired Project
“The HayWired project is the earthquake scenario currently underway during 2014-2015 to model and study impacts on the San Francisco Bay area from a Mw 7.05 earthquake on the Hayward fault. The study builds upon understanding of the last large earthquake to occur on the Hayward fault in 1868, but with the realization that modern urban infrastructures are made vulnerable by multiple layers of interdependencies between lifelines, with a major reliance on the Internet. This scenario also considers impacts from a sequence of aftershocks following the main earthquake, an aspect often overlooked but an important component of the physical and emotional damage associated with large earthquakes extending into the days and months following.” Since 2011, the Clearinghouse has been supporting regional resiliency through our information sharing efforts. For HayWired, the Clearinghouse will be focusing on interdependencies between critical infrastructure, and how secure, two-way, information sharing, can benefit situational awareness and decision support, for response, recovery, and regional resiliency. In July 2017, the Clearinghouse will be supporting a tabletop exercise featuring the HayWired Scenario. Please contact the Clearinghouse if your organization is interested in participating in this exercise.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 2016 National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) Challenge competition.
The Clearinghouse is part of a team proposal prepared by the Bay Area Center for Regional Disaster Resilience, chosen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Programs and Protection Directorate, 2016 National Infrastructure Protection Plan Security and Resilience Challenge. “The Challenge is unique in that it helps identify and allows funding for innovative ideas that can provide technologies and tools to the critical infrastructure community that are ready or nearly ready to use.”