Operational
Enhancements

HSIN Exchange: The Next Level in Information Sharing

HSIN Exchange logo and screenshot of the application.In 2016, HSIN Exchange was developed and launched in partnership with the National Network of Fusion Centers and the Terrorist Screening Center as a secure, streamlined RFI solution. Prior to HSIN Exchange, there was a critical need for law enforcement officers to connect the dots more quickly and see patterns that would enable them to make faster decisions. Part of this process includes sharing vital information through RFIs. When crossing state lines, the processes, forms and approvals are often very different. As a centralized RFI management system, HSIN Exchange benefits analysts and professionals working in analytic and information sharing entities, fusion centers, federal agencies and the broader Homeland Security Enterprise.

In FY 2017, all 79 fusion centers and the Terrorist Screening Center relied on HSIN Exchange every day to share intelligence products, collaborate on cyber threat response strategies and support real-time communications during incident response and event management operations. HSIN Exchange offers a secure digital communications solution that ensures fusion centers can more efficiently respond to and track information.

As HSIN Exchange enters its second year of full operation across all fusion centers, HSIN initiated work to apply the knowledge gained during its operational pilot project to create a full enterprise solution. HSIN Exchange will be expanded to include other federal partners, such as Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) center, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, major city and county intelligence units, DHS Intelligence and Analysis and the El Paso Regional Intelligence Center. The expanded system will provide a standardized form and single point-of-service for all RFIs and help fusion centers and other partners more efficiently process critical inquiries by:

  • Managing and prioritizing RFIs
  • Standardizing the RFI process to increase efficiency
  • Tracking response times
  • Providing metrics on total RFIs received, including the capability to report by source or topic

HSIN Exchange’s ability to drive interoperability across all fusion centers and interagency partners is an important factor in the system’s success. Real-world results have shown that the use of HSIN Exchange provides a solution that rapidly reports and responds to inquiries across all jurisdictional and national levels. HSIN Exchange also makes it easier to immediately and securely share information, providing the next level of maturity in RFI processing for homeland security, counterterrorism and public safety operations.

"No longer do we need to make one-off calls, emails to people and wait for a response. Now we have the ability to track those requests, see where they are in the process, and as managers, see when they’re closed out. That’s an incredible process that’s never existed in government before."

Official seal of the National Fusion Centers AssociationMike Sena
President of the National Fusion Center Association

HSIN Provides Key Support During Presidential Inauguration

During the 58th Presidential Inauguration, HSIN served as the primary information sharing platform to support execution of security operations. HSIN provided information sharing subject matter experts who customized planning and operational tools that ensured approved users had the right access and training to meet mission needs. Partners deployed HSIN tools for real-time incident monitoring, secure collaboration capabilities and secure data exchange.

Did You Know?: HSIN’s operational geospatial data provided secure information feeds to 15 approved mission critical systems, and was a key component to the successful support of event security, crisis mitigation and incident management. It also hosted 150 geospatial layers from 20 federal, state and local partners.

Eclipse Watch Sets Best Practice for Small Jurisdictions

Millions of people traveled to the path of totality, a 70-mile wide strip of land that extended from Oregon to South Carolina. To facilitate information sharing and situational awareness among partners, HSIN established a Solar Eclipse community with multiple subsites for participating states and agencies. By establishing a single community for jurisdictions around the nation, HSIN facilitated mission success for a large number of partners and enabled cost savings by reducing or eliminating duplication of efforts at local levels.

"Individual pages were created for the 12 states in the path of the eclipse, along with a Federal coordination page. The site housed a tracker for gatherings and incidents, a document library, contact lists and an area for important announcements."

Official seal of the Department of Homeland SecurityTerrence Newsome
HSIN Mission Advocate

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) Partnership with HSIN

The HSIN Program has set several goals to help build strong relationships with Tribal Nations, including: establishing a platform for tribal governments’ presence on HSIN; strengthening tribes’ abilities to collaborate with homeland security partners in support of tribes’ mission success; and enhancing operational capabilities with HSIN’s comprehensive set of secure information sharing tools.

The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s Incident Management team uses HSIN for secure, real-time information sharing and collaboration for their first responder needs and to support public safety operations across the reservation, which includes luxury hotels, a gaming casino and other properties.

Did You Know?: In July, the SMSC used HSIN to support its Annual Wacipi, a ceremonial gathering of the tribe’s community. SMSC also used HSIN over the summer in support of several amphitheater concerts at Prior Lake.

HSIN and GMO Team Up on 'Sail Boston' Tall Ships Event

Mission partners used HSIN and DHS Geospatial Management Office mapping capabilities to support the 'Sail Boston' Tall Ships event. The FBI’s Boston Field Office, Massachusetts Commonwealth Fusion Center, Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), Boston Police Department and Massachusetts State Police used HSIN to analyze shared intelligence. HSIN enabled seamless access to incidents and reports as well as high-resolution imagery and critical infrastructure information.

"This partnership will provide the BRIC and mission partners with superior levels of situational awareness, inform decision making, and greatly enable the planning, rehearsal, and execution phases of the event."

Official logo of the Boston Regional Intelligence CenterDavid Carabin
BRIC Director

HSIN is the Top-Seeded Team for Information Sharing at the NCAA® Tournament

HSIN kept fans safe at several sites of the men’s collegiate Division I basketball tournament, including the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. HSIN’s information sharing role among public safety partners included providing tools such as HSIN Connect for secure messaging and collaboration. These capabilities allow stakeholders to access up-to-date information from a single common view and coordination point, allowing emergency personnel to efficiently and effectively manage their efforts.

Did You Know?: HSIN Mission Advocates were integral to the operation, conducting outreach to convene partners to work together using the same playbook. HSIN Mission Advocates also developed and refined the information sharing strategies needed to provide a front line of defense against potential threats.

A First for HSIN: Supporting the U.S. Open Golf Tournament in Wisconsin

HSIN enabled 22 federal, state and local agencies to join with private sector partners to support security at the U.S. Open golf tournament in Erin, Wisconsin. The DHS Geospatial Management Office worked with HSIN Mission Advocates to deliver a solution that provided live mapping of incidents at the event, which enabled the Joint Operations Command Center to easily track emergency service calls and provide clear operational direction.

"Having one centralized point to disseminate information made communications concise and consistent across all of the public safety entities, which ranged from local to state to federal and even civilian organizations."

Official seal of the State of WisconsinCaptain Martin Schulteis
Deputy Incident Commander for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office

HSIN Support Shows 'Anything is Possible' for IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

At the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee, HSIN supported public safety operations for 23 partners including the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Coast Guard, Tennessee Fusion Center, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Tennessee Office of Homeland Security. Officials used HSIN to display video from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, through an iPad to support situational awareness and risk mitigation activities.

"HSIN provided the Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center the ability to monitor activities and maintain an event log as situations happened."

Official logo of the Emergency Services and Homeland Security for Hamilton CountyTony Reavley
Director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security for Hamilton County