The ability to communicate in a secure manner with citizens is of utmost importance and priority to homeland security.  Local citizens have the best information about what is happening in their neighborhoods, in real-time, and can provide information using technology, such as cell phones, camera phones and the internet much faster than traditional reporting sources.  Yet as community groups such as Neighborhood Watch, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and other Citizen Corp programs grow in numbers, so too does the communication gap that exists between these groups and the agencies they serve. 

On March 13, 2004, CyberCitizen provided non-critical pathway support to the DARPA Grand Challenge – a 150-mile autonomous vehicle race through the California and Nevada desert to advance military technology.  Utilizing CERT team and community group volunteers from throughout the US, CyberCitizen effectively linked citizens in 5 states (7 major metropolitan areas) with law enforcement and public safety.  Local field volunteers were able to provide real-time reports of events while out-of-area support volunteers were able to provide technical assistance and surge capacity while maintaining situational awareness from remote locations.

The value of the Grand Challenge CyberCitizen test was the demonstrated capability of CyberCitizen to effectively link citizens together with official operations.  Information was collected and analyzed for relevancy and accuracy at the Citizen Fusion Center (CFC) which allowed alerts to be sent to the official Challenge Operations Center (COC) and Situational Awareness Facility (SAF) when information was deemed reliable and appropriate.  Likewise, the COC and SAF were able to request or provide information to the CFC which was then transmitted for action or advisory to field and support volunteers.

The component parts of CyberCitizen rely upon a secure internet portal and perhaps most importantly, a willingness to cooperate and share.  With the express goal of enhancing the ability to collaborate and effectively respond to emerging needs during natural or man-made disasters and encouraging community preparation and readiness before a disaster, CyberCitizen efforts have been initiated in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego, California, Tampa, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina.

For more information on becoming a pilot CyberCitizen community, contact Kim Guevara

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