A companion CD has been developed in conjunction with Fusion Center the Fusion Center Guidelines report. This CD contains Guidelines sample policies, checklists, resource documents, and links Developing and Sharing to Web sites that are referenced throughout the report. For copies Information and Intelligence of the resource CD, contact DOJ’s in a New Era Global at (850) 385-0600. Guidelines for Establishing and The fusion center resources are also available at DOJ’s Global Web Operating Fusion Centers at the site, www.it.ojp.gov/fusioncenter, Local, State, and Federal Levels DHS’s Web site, and the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). Law Enforcement Intelligence, Public Safety, and the Private Sector For more information about the Fusion Center Guidelines, contact DOJ’s Global at (850) 385-0600. For more information about DOJ’s initiatives, go to www.it.ojp.gov. Issued August 2006 United States Department of Justice Fusion Center Guidelines Developing and Sharing Information and Intelligence in a New Era Guidelines for Establishing and Operating Fusion Centers at the Local, State, and Federal Levels Law Enforcement Intelligence, Public Safety, and the Private Sector Fusion Center Guidelines—Developing and Sharing Information in a New Era This document was prepared under the leadership, guidance, and funding of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Fusion Center Guidelines—Developing and Sharing Information in a New Era Foreword The U.S. Department of Justce (DOJ) and the U.S. Department Ths effort would not have been possble wthout the support of Homeland Securty (DHS) collaborated n the development and gudance of key ndvduals. A specal thank you s gven to of these fuson center gudelnes. The ntent of the partnershp the followng ndvduals for ther leadershp and commtment to is to provide a consistent, unified message and to provide a this initiative: Regina B. Schofield, Assistant Attorney General, comprehensve set of gudelnes for developng and operatng a Office of Justice Programs (OJP); Domingo S. Herraiz, Director, fuson center wthn a state or regon. Bureau of Justce Assstance (BJA), OJP; J. Patrck McCreary, Assocate Deputy Drector of Natonal Polcy, BJA; Tm Beres, Members of DOJ’s Global Justce Informaton Sharng Intatve Director, Preparedness Programs Division, Office for Domestic (Global) and DHS’s Homeland Securty Advsory Councl (HSAC) Preparedness, DHS; Dave Brannegan, Program Manager, Office supported ths project, whch nvolved numerous law enforcement of State and Local Government Coordnaton and Preparedness, experts and practtoners from local, state, trbal, and federal DHS; Danel Ostergaard, Executve Drector, HSAC, DHS; agences, as well as representatves of publc safety and prvate Michael Miron, Jeff Gaynor, and Candace Stoltz, Directors, sector enttes across the country. Ther collectve knowledge, Intellgence and Informaton Sharng Workng Groups, HSAC; nsght, and wllngness to partcpate resulted n an outstandng DHS; and Mtt Romney, charman, Intellgence and Informaton product. Strong leadershp for the project’s focus groups was Sharng Workng Group, HSAC, DHS. provded by Peter Modaffer, char of the Law Enforcement Intellgence Focus Group; John Cohen, char of the Publc Safety Focus Group; and Kenneth Bouche, char of the Prvate Sector Focus Group. The Role of Leadership In developng our country’s response to the threat of terrorsm, law enforcement, publc safety, and prvate sector leaders have recognized the need to improve the sharing of information and intelligence across agency borders. Every official involved n nformaton and ntellgence sharng has a stake n ths ntatve. Leaders must move forward wth a new paradgm on the exchange of nformaton and ntellgence, one that ncludes the ntegraton of law enforcement, publc safety, and the prvate sector. Law enforcement, publc safety, and prvate sector leaders are encouraged to embrace the gudelnes n ths report when establshng a fuson center or partcpatng n one. Informaton and ntellgence sharng among states and jursdctons wll become seamless and efficient when each fusion center uses a common set of guidelines. It is the intent of this document to provide guidelines that help ensure fusion centers are established and operated effectively and efficiently in a manner that protects the privacy and civil liberties of citizens. The complete support of public safety leaders at all levels is critical to the successful mplementaton and operaton of fuson centers. Fusion Center Guidelines—Developing and Sharing Information in a New Era v Fusion Center Guidelines—Developing and Sharing Information in a New Era Table of Contents Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................................................1 Summary of Guidelines and Key Elements ........................................................................................................................................5 Introduction—Fusion Concept and Functions ...................................................................................................................................9 Fuson Center Gudelnes Development...........................................................................................................................................9 The Fuson Concept .........................................................................................................................................................................10 Fuson Centers .................................................................................................................................................................................12 Fuson Center Functons ..................................................................................................................................................................13 Functonal Categores ......................................................................................................................................................................13 State Strategy ..................................................................................................................................................................................14 Informaton Flow ...............................................................................................................................................................................14 Background and Methodology .............................................................................................................................................................15 A Phased Approach ..........................................................................................................................................................................15 Phase I—Law Enforcement Intellgence Component .......................................................................................................................15 Phase 2—Publc Safety Component ................................................................................................................................................16 Phase 3—Prvate Sector Component ..............................................................................................................................................17 Guidelines Gudelne 1: The NCISP and the Intellgence and Fuson Processes ...........................................................................................19 Gudelne 2: Msson Statement and Goals ...................................................................................................................................23 Gudelne 3: Governance...............................................................................................................................................................25 Gudelne 4: Collaboraton ............................................................................................................................................................29 Gudelne 5: Memorandum of Understandng (MOU) and Non-Dsclosure Agreement (NDA) ......................................................31 Gudelne 6: Database Resources.................................................................................................................................................33 Gudelne 7: Interconnectvty ........................................................................................................................................................37 Gudelne 8: Prvacy and Cvl Lbertes .........................................................................................................................................41 Gudelne 9: Securty .....................................................................................................................................................................43