U
rban Shield began as an Alameda County,
Calif. Sheriff’s Offi ce (ACSO) regional preparedness ex- ercise. It has grown to an international training event drawing on the principles from the National Response Framework (NRF) put in place to assist communities in all hazards disaster planning and response following 9/11.
SWAT teams at Urban Shield rotate through 35 scenario- based events over a period of 48 hours, implementing and testing new assistive technologies and practicing mission skills and tactics. An important aspect of the exercise is the post- scenario debrief, where technology providers get immediate user feedback about their technology and input for suggested areas of improvement.
Sheriff Greg Munks of San Mateo County knows well the
value of training and the need for collaboration. A 36-year law enforcement professional, Sheriff Munks has led the San Mateo Sheriff’s Offi ce (SMSO) since 2007, and recognizes that at any point, his team could be called on to respond to a disaster, whether natural or manmade. Under his leadership, the SMSO SWAT team, comprised of sergeants and deputies, participates in Urban Shield each year to gain experience and learn about technological advances that can help them save lives. What many view as one of the next great emerging technology trends that will impact day-to-day life is known as the Internet of Things or IoT. The IoT represents a technological progression where everyday devices (things) become ‘smart’ by connecting through the Internet to remote services and applications that can monitor and learn, and adapt devices to a user’s personal needs and habits.
IoT devices are already being used with greater frequency in
areas like smart thermostats, which can regulate heat and air conditioning settings based on a homeowner’s living habits and the weather. The areas and applications where IoT technologies are expected to grow are wide ranging and virtually unlimited. Public safety is no exception. The Internet of Public Safety Things™ (IoPST)—a term coined by Dr. Mike Wengrovitz, VP of Innovation at Mutualink, work- ing in collaboration with Intel Corporation—was put to the test at Urban Shield 2015. Employing groundbreaking innovation, SWAT team members were outfi tted with small Wearable Smart Gateway (WSG)™ devices developed by Mutualink and utiliz- ing the Intel® Edison™ module—a next-generation computer chip the size of a postage stamp.
The WSG removes communications barriers and transmits both multimedia communications and critical sensor data se- curely back to command and control to establish important situ- ational and personal awareness. The WSG bridges all devices used by fi rst responders—including body cameras, heart rate monitors, locator beacons, and other handheld sensors—in- stantly and securely transmitting this data to relevant parties. During the exercises, the WSG device—which was connected to Mutualink’s secure multimedia interoperability platform— successfully assisted SWAT teams in two scenarios: a power
The command post in a tent at Urban Shield 2015, with Mutualink’s interoperability platform running on a Windows laptop.
grid sub-station scenario with a terrorist/hostage situation, and a potential bomb on a transit bus scenario. The technology increased the effi cacy of the SWAT teams and the Command Center by enabling information-sharing in real time, including voice, video, health sensor data, location, and more. Team members reported greatly enhanced capa- bilities that assisted both in mission execution as well as post- misison analysis.
The most important thing we can do when developing public safety technologies is to understand what fi rst responders en- counter in the fi eld. We innovated with Intel’s Edison module with this in mind, brainstorming ways that we could increase fi rst responders’ safety and operational effectiveness without complicating the mission, or adding more task requirements to an already demanding environment.
There are other technologies out there, but these fail to meet the basic requirements of being simple and transparent to the end user. But IoPST applications, on the other hand, meet these criteria and provide potentially life-saving ben- efi ts to fi rst responders.
Why it Matters – The Electric Substation Terrorist
In March 2015, USA TODAY reported that an analysis of federal records found that once every four days, part of the nation’s power grid is under attack. Should an attack take the form of a terrorist infi ltrating the physical plant, SWAT teams would be called on to neutralize the situation. With the danger posed by the electricity itself, in addition to the threat of an armed ter- rorist, the importance of sharing heart rate data of responding offi cers is clear.
When the Command Center is alerted to any spike or dive in the offi cer’s heart rate, they can respond accordingly to as- sist that offi cer. While fi rst responders only occassionally die of heart attacks on the job, power plants pose a specifi c hazard. Therefore, having real-time biosensors gives an analyst at the Command Center the security of knowing the team is healthy.
www.lawandordermag.com 57
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68