Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/238697
ON THE JOB NEWS EYE ON EDUCATION LEADERSHIP JUST HANDED DOWN MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS News Indianapolis Department of Public Safety Launches SafeTown™ from InterAct™ WINSTON-SALEM, NC — The Indianapolis Department of Public Safety launched SafeTown Community Alerts, a cloud-based application developed by InterAct that will help local public safety agencies connect and share information with the citizens of Indianapolis. SafeTown Community Alerts allows authorities to publish alerts such as traffic incidents, HAZMAT warnings or public 'be on the lookout' (BOLO) notices where citizens can view information in real time on the SafeTown map. Additionally, SafeTown's applications are fully integrated with InterAct's suite of public safety applications, so information is always accurate and up to date for first responders in the field. Key features of SafeTown Community Alerts include: Agencies can post 9-1-1 incidents from their CAD system to the community in real time on the SafeTown Map. Agencies can also post non 9-1-1 alerts, such as missing persons, public BOLOs and weather-related alerts to the community. Citizens in the community can comment on posted alerts, and all crowd-sourced comments are provided back to the agencies in a connected thread. Avrio RMS Group & Technology Partners Host Public-Safety Open House BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Avrio RMS Group, together with several of its technology partners, recently hosted an Open House to demonstrate the city-wide video system for Public Safety recently installed in the City of Moreno Valley, Calif. The event, held at The City of Moreno Valley Emergency Operations Center and Police Department, showcased the completed city-wide wireless video system. The demonstration educated attendees on what technology can make possible, and answered questions they may have when considering similar technology projects. The demo also gave the invited guests an in-depth looks at the system's capabilities and addressed several key considerations. Among them, the problems and challenges the City faced when it decided to look for a city-wide wireless video solution; the characteristics the City looked for when selecting an integrator and solution; what the results have been so far; and, the lessons learned. 8 LAW and ORDER I January 2014 Alcatel-Lucent and Las Vegas Metro PD Conduct Trial of 4G LTE Public-Safety Mobile Broadband Network LAS VEGAS/PARIS – Alcatel-Lucent and the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, along with the Nevada Department of Transportation and other first responders, conducted a six-month trial of a 4G LTE public safety network in a designated section of the city of Las Vegas, NV. The trial used spectrum allocated to the First Responders Network Authority (FirstNet), an independent authority set up by the United States government to facilitate the building of a nationwide interoperable public-safety broadband network. FirstNet is permitting trials with its dedicated 700 MHz spectrum on a limited basis to gain valuable and necessary input for the planning of the nationwide network rollout. By using real-time video, vehicle tracking, WiFi, multiple devices and other data access and communications tools, organizations can quickly and securely obtain and share detailed information in day-to-day emergency situations. This will provide an integrated approach and improve the services that these organizations deliver to their communities. City of Des Moines, IA Leads Interoperable Communications with Tait HOUSTON, Texas — The City of Des Moines, Iowa has formally accepted a critical communications solution from Tait Communications, which gives radio users the freedom to roam throughout the city and access multiple networks without changing radios. The Metro-Interoperability Communication System (MICS) from Tait combines three different bandwidths, allowing all public safety agencies in the Polk County area to access one centralized system compatible with their existing radio system. Public safety agencies in the area operate UHF and VHF frequencies, in addition to two proprietary 800 MHz networks. The MICS links these frequencies together for agency interoperability, and allows each agency to retain their investment in their current communications infrastructure.