New technology for FDNY and NYPD responders

[dave3825]

May 10, 2006
Firefighters and police officers responding to calls in lower Manhattan will soon be able to download blueprints and other structural information before they reach the scene of a crime or fire.

This type of information would be accessible under a six-month pilot program announced Tuesday to test a "citywide mobile wireless network" for first responders.


The pilot program involves two companies, Northrop Grumman and Motorola, installing wireless networks downtown. Police and fire personnel will then test both networks during actual calls to judge their effectiveness.

At the end of the $2.7 million trial, one of the two companies may be selected to build a $500 million emergency WiFi network across all five boroughs.

"The systems being considered are emerging, cutting-edge technologies that will put New York City at the forefront of the next wave of public safety communications and interoperability," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a statement Tuesday. "Testing these technologies for potential citywide implementation is critical to increasing safety and raising the performance level of our first responders."

In addition to blueprints, police precincts will be able to transmit fingerprint and mug shot data to cops at the crime scene. Hazmat units will be able to send readings back to a laboratory for contamination analysis.

Non-emergency personnel such as building inspectors and maintenance workers will also have access to information on the downtown networks.

 

[IW_RADIO]

This sounds like an EXCELLENT idea for all major cities to implement. I heard of something simular in Washington, DC.

 

[acm10]

its actualy called motomesh network they can use mdt's to see streaming vidio from motomesh cameras installed in builings,police cars and on the streets

 

[silverbk]

I work as a division Aide for FDNY in DIV-1. We have the pilot for these new command posts. I was not impressed at the demonstration by the vendor. I could have built a better one in my spare time.

The unit relies on off the shelf wifi hardware to keep it connected to the network. My instinct tells me that this will not work well in actual use. For instance if someone parks a tower ladder between me and the div vehicle, it will completely block the wifi and I'm SOL.

The OS is windows XP, which I think is a poor choice. I would hate to have my command post get a virus or spyware. Linux would have been a better choice. The actual software that displays the blueprints is very buggy and failed during the demonstration.

So far I'm not impressed. You can laugh at our existing vaudeville case with the magnets keeping track of units, but it always works, anytime and in any weather, anywhere.