In reviewing this topic area in detail, we have one key question: There is reference, both explicitly and implicitly, to several separate federal datasets.

(By implicit, we mean that -- for example -- the MMUCC 6th Edition guidelines specifically reference NEMSIS several times, so even though this topic does not reference NEMSIS, it is clearly a part of the process. In many communities, fire services also respond to roadway crashes, and the new US Fire Administration National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) standard references NEMSIS as well, so there is a demonstrable overlap among the standards used by various responding agency types.)

There are references within the topic to "must collect and integrate...data elements at the crash, vehicle, and person level," etc. But in other places within the topic, it says "this project aims to develop software with automation features and capabilities that integrates into current crash report software."

In short, the topic acknowledges that there are SEVERAL different software systems currently used by LEAs -- and other Responders to crash scenes, including Fire and EMS, plus trauma registries, each of which uses separate software. There are concurrent / parallel federal initiatives ongoing now to integrate and cross-talk those software systems. The topic acknowledges this as well: "gather more robust data, crash reports should be accurate, complete, uniform, timely, accessible to users of data, and in a format that supports data integration with other data and systems."

That said, is the goal of this topic to create a data COLLECTION software (i.e., primary or new data that will be first entered into the software system that results from this topic) -- or is the goal to create INTEGRATION software that pulls together lots of existing data into a unified repository (for lack of a better term) where it can be cross-walked, collated and evaluated side-by-side for decision-making?