Reader Forum: The intersection between public safety and smart cities

The evolution of the public safety sector is set to impact smart city initiatives, though partnerships could ease the transition.

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Alabama, New Hampshire and other states are exploring building and operating their own public safety only LTE networks – effectively opting out of the impending nationwide FirstNet broadband network deployment. These proactive efforts, which will require significant community engagement, should align with other infrastructure upgrades. In the age of the smart cities this will require close collaboration between municipalities and public safety agencies to best benefit their citizens.

Advanced technology and integration of evolving data-driven systems are helping cities become safer, smarter and more sustainable places to live and work and these views are reflected in this year’s Black & Veatch’s “Strategic Directions: Smart City/Smart Utility Report.” Modern communication technologies enabled by broadband LTE promise to improve how first responders, public agencies and transportation fleets communicate to better serve and protect communities.

Enabling smarter public safety communications

Widespread deployment of these smart public safety technologies will rely on several factors including holistic planning, citizen engagement, effective use of data and clearing bureaucratic hurdles often associated with government agencies and departments.

The good news is that today a growing number of cities in the U.S. and abroad see the benefits of becoming smarter. Municipal leaders are coordinating more closely to clear a path for integrating smart systems that improve the safety and quality of life in their communities.

The geographic coverage, ubiquity, interoperability, resiliency, redundancy and maintenance of public safety broadband LTE networks lie at the center of the intersection between public safety and other smart city initiatives. Evolving next-generation 911 capabilities, internet of things applications and other technologies are making it possible to transport voice, data (e.g. a person’s medical history, text messages to 911 operators), pictures and video in real time over these channels. As these applications integrate with other smart city efforts, public safety professionals will have the means to more ably serve and safeguard their communities.

Public safety departments have typically relied on land mobile radio systems, many of which are nearing or operating at end-of-life status. Agencies are beginning to shift to LTE applications to meet citizen expectations and increase first responder effectiveness. Of the current broadband data applications currently being implemented via LTE, mapping was named the most prevalent, indicated by 73% of public safety organizations. Work order management (47%) and database searches (40%) were other top applications being used.

Next-gen 911 systems advance

An example of proactive leadership can be found in Oakland County, Michigan, where public administrators recently examined their LMR infrastructure planning by analyzing the county’s public safety communications needs and developing a new system roadmap. The new Oakland County public safety radio communication system will provide seamless radio communications for all public safety agencies within the county. Employing radio frequency technology, the new system unites systems used by agencies in and around the county so that police, fire, EMS and other first responders have access to and can apply a greater level of interoperability. This translates to faster, safer, more reliable public safety communication in emergency and disaster response situations.

The eventual retirement of LMR will continue at a slow pace because of factors that present barriers to migration, such as bureaucratic concerns, cultural resistance, financial challenges and technological limitations. However, many of these systems were designed to last only 10 to 15 years and are now more than 20 years old, compromising their performance and capabilities. Many agencies are in the process of transitioning from a legacy system, such as enhanced digital access communication system, to newer technology like the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International Project 25.

Meanwhile, the breadth of technology providers continues to multiply exponentially, making the transition from legacy systems to NG911 and associated advanced public safety communications capabilities a more daunting task. Some agencies prefer to partner with a consultant that can assist with the entire project, from the RFP process to full-scale deployment and subsequent long-term maintenance. For example, a consultant can conduct a needs assessment to help ensure that all community interests are taken into consideration, as well as evaluate current infrastructure. However, survey responses indicate no clear industry wide standard for implementation.

To best reap the benefits of next-generation data applications, many public safety systems will require updates or replacements with, as already stated, a strong emphasis on high-speed data networks, system redundancy, interoperability and ease of maintenance, listed by survey respondents as the top priority investments. As public safety functionality grows within smart city initiatives, community resilience programs should be viewed as a major force driving the adoption of smarter technologies and data analytics.

As cities become more interconnected, significant gaps in public safety communications can be addressed to increase redundancy, resiliency and interoperability, thus improving safety for first responders and the constituencies they protect. It is imperative that public safety agencies partner with, and are in alignment with, community leadership to ensure that smart city planning takes public safety communications and interoperability into account to benefit communities’ long-term safety and security needs.

The cost of planning and implementing smart public safety communications and other smart city initiatives cannot be ignored. While government grants remain the leading funding source for next-generation public safety broadband networks and the advanced communications functionality those networks enable, other financing models such as public/private partnerships should be considered to help ease the burden on taxpayers.

The evolution of the public safety sector will greatly impact smart city initiatives. Obstacles remain, and city, county and public safety leaders often face a skeptical public whose understanding of smart city initiatives may lag their own. But when stakeholders partner for progress – and engage the public to reach an understanding of how technology and planning can unite once disparate infrastructure systems – our communities and quality of life will prosper.

Paul Scutieri is a public safety communications expert at Black & Veatch. He also currently serves on the APCO Emerging Technology Committee and the APCO Historical Committee.