TheInformation Sharing Environment (ISE)was established by theIntelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA). Its purpose is best described as an integrated framework ofpeople, projects, and agenciesthat enables theresponsible sharingof terrorism-related and homeland security information. The ISE is not a single database or computer system; rather, it is a set of policies, standard operating procedures, and technologies that link all levels of government—federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial—as well as private sector partners into a cohesive national network.
The ISE initiative focuses on three main pillars:
Interoperability:Ensuring that different agencies can technically and procedurally exchange information.
Standardization:Using common data standards like theNational Information Exchange Model (NIEM).
Protection:Ensuring that information sharing respects thePrivacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties (P/CRCL)of Americans.
For aCertified Emergency and Disaster Professional (CEDP), the ISE is the foundation for "Intelligence-Led Policing" and "Risk-Informed Emergency Management." It allows a local "Fusion Center" to receive classified threat indicators from the federal government and translate them into actionable warnings for local responders. While Option B is a function of the ISE, the formal definition used by theOffice of the Program Manager for the ISE (PM-ISE)and theDHSemphasizes the comprehensive "environment" of people and projects. This initiative ensures that the "dots are connected" before a disaster or terrorist event occurs, fulfilling the primary recommendation of the 9/11 Commission to break down information silos across the homeland security enterprise.
