NCJ Number
233610
Date Published
2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the use of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) to aid the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) create a consolidated "ChemBioRadNuc" (CBRN) domain, a message/notification and transmission platform for sensor networks.
Abstract
The purpose in the utilization of the proven effective, National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is to get better technology in place to give first responders better tools for guaranteed delivery in the detection of chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear threats. The goal is to make sense of the data being received; to determine the true nature of the threat; to share the data widely, moving quickly from classified to unclassified within mere moments, putting the information into the hands of those who will take action. However, there are obstacles that can keep data from traveling from the thousands of sensors planted for chemical, biological, or nuclear detection to analysts, decisionmakers, and operations personnel. The concept of "global nuclear detection architecture" exists with the monitoring by the DNDO's Joint Analysis Center (JAC) and its Collaborative Information System. JACCIC detects movement within the United States of illicit nuclear material. DNDO evaluated NIEM Version 2.0 which proved to be significantly improved. NIEM had broadened its usefulness, welcoming other domains, while leaving other applications intact. DNDO began the conversion work to steward a radioactive, nuclear, chemical, and biological detection messaging set to create a consolidated "ChemBioRadNuc" (CBRN) domain. This paper examines how DHS DNDO was successful in utilizing NIEM to develop a comprehensive and consolidated CBRN messaging alert system.