SCOPA Collaboration GATEWAY Solution:
Unparalleled Interoperability
Tuesday, April 17, 2007

On April 5, 2007, five SCOPA cities successfully submitted applications with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Grants and Training to secure funding for the Collaborative Gateway service. This cross-jurisdictional submission was an historic first. The following cities successfully submitted applications: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Tallahassee, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi and Frankfort, Kentucky.

Three cities were not permitted to submit—and were advised by DHS Help Desks that only their states were eligible for these grant monies. (SCOPA plans to informally “appeal” these denials as all city members of the SCOPA collaborative Pilot were qualified to submit.)

Stanley Campbell, CEO of Sim-G Technologies, presented the Collaborative Gateway solution at the SCOPA March 14th meeting in Washington, DC. The Collaboration Gateway solution was well received by SCOPA members because it seamlessly integrates people, information, and technologies, in a user-friendly, virtual collaborative environment. It was attractive because it can be layered over existing data bases and can become operational within a relatively short period of time.

SCOPA members welcomed a cost-effective solution that allowed their First Responders to improve team communications, manage large volumes of information and coordinate critical efforts—achieving levels of results at a fraction of current cost and speed.

With one access code for all functionality, the SCOPA Collaborative Gateway solution is accessible from anywhere. Collaboration Gateway will successfully provide unparalleled interoperability for the many disciplines represented by SCOPA: law enforcement, safety, security, public works and medical communities.

SCOPA promotes SCOPA venues as ideal venues for pilot programs offering promising Homeland Security solutions. SCOPA members include all disciplines, within their jurisdictions, focused on preventing, protecting, responding and recovering from incidents that threaten the security of the population and critical portions of the infrastructure. SCOPA is well positioned to assist DHS in establishing Best Practices and national requirements—because its members serve as the home for state governments—and because SCOPA members’ commitment to work collaboratively, across jurisdictional borders.