Securing the Cities (STC) Program

The Securing the Cities (STC) Program seeks to design and implement or enhance existing architectures for coordinated and integrated detection and interdiction of nuclear materials that are out of regulatory control and may be used as a weapon within high-risk metropolitan areas in the United States. The STC Program will establish sustainable capability among State, local and tribal agencies to detect and report unauthorized nuclear materials within their jurisdictions supporting the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture (GNDA). The STC Program has three primary goals: (1) to enhance regional capabilities to detect, identify and interdict nuclear materials that are out of regulatory control; (2) to guide the coordination of Federal, State, local and tribal entities in their roles defined by the GNDA; and (3) to encourage participants to sustain base nuclear detection program over time. To accomplish these goals, the DNDO developed the following objectives: Objective 1: Assist State, local and tribal governments in developing local nuclear detection architectures resulting in awareness, training, technical support, exercises and capability development. DNDO will use a common strategy in each STC implementation tailored for the particular requirements of an area. This strategy will put in place a comprehensive structure for developing all architectural elements and will encompass all elements of capability development. Objective 2: Establish information connectivity among deployed detection systems in the interior layer and State, local, tribal, private and regional data analysis centers, to include connectivity for technical reachback and adjudication support. Information exchange is critical to reducing the risk of any terrorist attack. Integral to the CONOPs document will be regional information sharing practices among partners and with DNDO. Information exchange from the Federal level down to the local level and from the local level to the Federal level will be beneficial to all concerned. Objective 3: Establish administrative infrastructure to support nuclear detection program. DNDO will play a major role during STC implementations to set up the managing structures that will allow the partners to develop a self-supporting program with limited Federal assistance. Objective 4: Establish coordination mechanisms between stakeholders for routine daily operations and focused/stepped up deployments. A CONOPS that has concurrence from all principal STC partners is the key document defining coordination within and outside the region. Assistance provided through this STC Standing Funding Opportunity Announcement (SFOA) will allow the stakeholders to establish or enhance a regional nuclear detection program. DHS intends to support State and local operations for nuclear detection through a three-phased STC Program that provides for the implementation of nuclear detection capabilities in all UASI Tier 1 regions. See Appendix 1, Section A, STC Program Phases. Subject to funding availability and acceptable performance, DNDO may execute the STC Program concurrently in other regions in and around major metropolitan areas.