This appendix to the Baseline Capabilities for State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers identifies the how fusion centers can effectively integrate the fire service into their existing analysis and information/intelligence sharing processes.
This appendix identifies the recommended actions and guidance for state and major urban area fusion centers to effectively integrate fire and emergency services into the fusion process. For the purposes of this document, the term fire service includes emergency fire and medical service operations, rescue operations, hazardous materials operations, fire prevention and protection, fire investigation, incident management, and responder safety. This document also provides federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial fire service organizations with an overview of the mutual operational value in working with their local fusion center, as well as different options for establishing relationships with the fusion center. The recommendations presented in this document aim to demonstrate how fire service disciplines can be integrated into existing baseline capabilities of fusion centers and to provide guidance specifically tailored to the fire service. The document is divided into two sections: fusion process capabilities, and management and administrative capabilities. The fusion process capabilities section is subdivided as follows: planning and requirements development; information gathering/collection and recognition of indicators and warnings; processing and collation of information; intelligence analysis and production; intelligence/information dissemination; and reevaluation. The management and administrative capabilities section is subdivided as follows: management/governance; information privacy protections; security; personnel and training; information technology/communications infrastructure, systems, equipment, facility, and physical infrastructure; and funding.