Page 10 - Security Today, November/December 2020

Improving
Emergency Response
Outreach, communication in 2021 will come through practical advanced technologies By Ralph Diment
Smart cities will need to grapple with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 while responding to natural disasters, such as the Califor- nia wildfires and everyday emergencies. One devel- opment that will help municipalities in this regard is the increased use of Internet of Things (IoT) networks, Accord- ing to Deloitte, there are almost 20 billion IoT devices in the world.
The most critical outlet for this technology is public safety, which requires precise, timely data about events, so agencies can respond quickly, safely and effectively. Smart cities that harness resilient tools can move society forward in the coming year.
THE POWER OF DATA
Emergency services will improve their outreach and communication with the public in 2021 through practical advanced technologies. Concerned citizens can contact emergency services using text, social media and mobile apps. Dispatchers can precisely locate callers in an instant via their smartphone’s advanced mobile location (AML) capability and use photos or videos of the scene to inform decisions and update responders. Connected navigation systems then map out the fastest and safest routes to the scene. Intelligent traffic signals can even ensure their routes are clear. All these real-time innovations will help save lives.
The use of advanced analytics in public safety has lagged that of business and even other areas of public service, but it is rapidly
catching up. Analysis of operational data is helping to improve service and staff well-being by aligning resources and balancing workloads to reflect patterns in demand. Advanced analytics are also helping emergency response with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning providing continuous autonomous assessment of the data flowing through emergency call centers. If a pattern or anomaly is detected, dispatchers will be alerted of developing situations, so they can intervene sooner to contain issues, and even prevent some tragedies.
Through this multi-tiered approach, emergency responders can leverage data to perform life-saving work more effectively. To truly succeed, however, they will need help from every department.
COLLABORATION IS THE KEY
Our daily lives rely on infrastructure and services provided by a range of independent organizations, with each using different systems, processes and assets. But smart cities are beginning to build shared awareness and coordination across those functions through a network of digital technologies.
As part of this process, departments with siloed – or even conflicting – information and procedures need to come together to make day-to-day operations more efficient and effective, but also to mitigate crises because these events disrupt essential functions and have dire consequences. For example, the Paris terrorist attacks (2017) caused severe economic damage to the
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | SECURITY TODAY
SMART CITIES
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