The Homeland Security Information Network, created to share information between the Department of Homeland Security and state and local law enforcement and emergency responders, was deployed too quickly and without sufficient training to be effective at its goals, according to a report (PDF) from the DHS inspector general.

The network links police departments, fire and emergency responders, governors’ offices, and other organizations involved in response to disaster or terrorism to the Department of Homeland Security to share information. Its predecessor network was responsible, after a 2003 blackout which affected much of the northeast United States, for quickly disseminating the information that a terrorist attack was not responsible, the report said.

Because of inadequate “user guidance, including clear information sharing processes, training, and reference materials,” according to the report, its users “are somewhat confused about the HSIN’s role and do not trust the system’s ability to safeguard sensitive information.”

“Further, situational awareness information that could help states and cities determine how to respond to threats when major incidents occur is not readily available,” the report said.

The network was rushed into operation without sufficient input from those who would be using it, resulting in a system which fails to meet the needs of its users and which they don’t trust.

“Instead, users resort to pre-existing means such as related systems and telephone calls to share information, which only perpetuates the ad hoc, stove-piped information-sharing environment that HSIN was intended to correct,” the report concludes.