The Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) provides local, tribal, territorial, state and federal stakeholders with the tools, technologies, methodologies and guidance to enable improved communications interoperability at all levels of government. OIC manages a comprehensive research, development, testing, evaluation and standards program to enhance interoperable emergency communications and improve alerts and warnings.

Emergency responders—police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians—need to share vital voice and data information across disciplines and jurisdictions to successfully respond to both day-to-day incidents and large-scale emergencies. Unfortunately, for decades, inadequate and unreliable communications systems have compromised their ability to perform mission-critical duties. Responders often have difficulty communicating when adjacent agencies are assigned to different radio bands, use incompatible proprietary systems and infrastructure or lack adequate standard operating procedures and effective multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary governance structures.

OIC programs address both voice and data interoperability. OIC supports the capacity for increased levels of interoperability by developing tools, best practices, technologies and methodologies that emergency response agencies can immediately put into effect. OIC also improves incident response and recovery by developing tools, technologies and messaging standards that help emergency responders manage incidents and exchange information in real time.

OIC is committed to working in partnership with all stakeholders to address critical emergency response communication needs with programs that advocate a “bottom-up” approach.

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