EVOLUTION OF THE EIIP

The Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP) is the result of the collaborative efforts of several organizations or Partners over the past three years. The concept for the EIIP was originated by the Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), and State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG). These groups see the Emergency Lane of the Information Superhighway as a global tool that unifies and profits the entire emergency professional community if we pursue the effort in a united and coordinated manner. By working together in partnership, the EIIP hopes to impact an emergency information system that meets the needs of global emergency professionals.

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Two formal conferences at Mt. Weather in Berryville, Virginia resulted in a loosely formed organization that depended primarily on Work Groups to accomplish established goals. As work progressed, a need was seen for a more formal vision, organization and work plan to address goals and track the efforts of the Partners. To accommodate this need, the EIIP Core Group met at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), Emmitsburg, Maryland, for a three-day strategic planning session March 12-14, 1997. A strategic plan was developed with the primary focus the development of the EIIP Virtual Forum with formation of an Architecture & Content Work Group to take on the challenge of creating an all-new web site to accomplish the vision and meet the challenges of that meeting. In the time since the EMI meeting, the EIIP Work Groups have centered their time and efforts on the creation of The Virtual Forum.

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In the present climate of downsizing and reinvention of government, business and organizations, the EIIP provides a forum and interactive web site that is as flexible and broad-based in its concept as the global emergency management community. The EIIP gives each Partner an equal voice as it attempts to bring all the players into the world of information technology. It also provides for better understanding of the various Partner constituencies and requirements while providing opportunities for networking and individual growth for all involved. Any Partner representative or individual with email and Internet access can voluntarily participate in EIIP activities and The Virtual Forum. Interaction through online discussions, forums, chats, or other technology-driven means of communication is possible regardless of location, time zone, or area of expertise or interest.

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The goals of the Partnership are accomplished through consensus building via working groups of emergency management community volunteers who are interested in specific programmatic or technical areas. The EIIP is structured to focus on issues of concern to each specific constituency represented while building a community-wide focus. The representatives of the various groups serve as the points of contact for their respective organizations and are responsible for reporting to and receiving feedback from their organizations to ensure ongoing awareness of the Partnership's progress and continual input and sharing of organizational perspectives. The volunteers are sponsored by their respective organizations and the participation costs for EIIP activities are generally borne by the sponsoring groups or individual participants. The Partnership represents all levels of government as well as academia, the private sector, and volunteer organizations.