Page 11 - Security Today, November/December 2020

“Smart cities will need access to data- rich technologies to improve service, safety, and resilience in 2021.”
city long after the initial tragedy. Many tourists canceled vacation plans, business travel decreased and residents reduced spending.
Every municipality is different, so it is impossible to understand all the challenges teams face, whether responding to such large incidents, adapting to home working or increasingly frequent extreme weather events. But cities where departments work together prove more resilient by being able to identify issues sooner and take more effective action.
As part of this effort, all municipal agencies need to prioritize digital transformation this year. They should connect disparate data sources while advancing the vital services that underpin society.
Public safety departments are an essential part of this mission. Technology is improving how they respond, but they cannot create wholesale change without coordinating with agencies like social services, utilities and transportation. Removing barriers will make government work better, whether collaborating for more effective emergency response or pooling information to better understand issues and prioritize resources.
A holistic, evidence-based approach also benefits the broader community because citizens who understand the needs and issues behind a policy will be more confident in municipal agencies and more likely to support safety initiatives. Therefore, these departments need to involve the public in all matters, from
budgets to the use of technology and post-event reviews. Once agencies have strong local support, the final step is convincing leaders to invest this year and beyond.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Seconds count during emergencies, and new technologies help reduce the impacts of serious incidents; however, they can have a high price tag. As a result, municipalities need to analyze what eachproposalcostsbeforeopeningtheircheckbooks.Cityofficials should understand the risks and rewards of assistive technologies, along with the regulatory environments in their respective areas.
Tools that serve multiple purposes for multiple organizations will pay the most significant dividends. But, just like siloed IT, separate budgets and organizational objectives can also stand in the way. Since the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks, industry leaders in smart cities need to reevaluate their annual funding models and spread the wealth across organizations. They should encourage and facilitate investments that offer broad positive long-term impacts.
Smart cities will need access to data-rich technologies to improve service, safety, and resilience in 2021. Intelligent leaders in smart cities should look to enable departments to coordinate information and action by removing silos
across municipal agencies and spending
intelligently. That way, they will enhance the
community’s quality of life for years to come.
Ralph Diment is the director of industry and product marketing at Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division.
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