More often than not, police and emergency response teams need to work fast. This means having simultaneous access to as much information as possible. But on too many occasions, precious minutes are lost trying to coordinate between agencies and command posts - time that should be spent executing a decisive plan.
In a bid to improve communication between agencies at incidents, Camden, N.J., company Drakontas LLC has developed a new integrated situational awareness application. Its DragonForce™ software augments traditional voicecom by integrating location, messaging and whiteboarding capabilities along with sensor and database information from a variety of platforms.
DragonForce integrates Blue Force Tracking - a location-based service using GPS technology - and text messaging, and has a "collaborative whiteboard" where images, drawings and other data can be easily shared by system users. The software utilizes a standard application, like Microsoft Word or Outlook, that can be loaded onto a variety of mobile devices, such as a BlackBerry, Treo, ruggedized PDA or cell phone, and appears as a clickable icon on the screen.
When first responders open the command center application, they’ll see field operatives and other team members - anyone who is using the software - on a map.
To put this in real-world context, imagine responding to an active shooter situation at a school where all cross-agency emergency responders, from the command center down, are all looking at an accurate photo of the shooter, up-to-date floor plans of the building and GPS tracking of tactical teams’ movements.
Take another scenario: A massive manhunt is under way and everyone is searching for the suspect. DragonForce can be used for large-scale photo sharing starting at the Command Center, which simultaneously pushes images of the suspect to all DragonForce-enabled devices. Two-way communication means that individual responders can then communicate back, via text message or “quick text” (a set of pre-defined text messages) to the Command Center.
“GPS is only one part of the picture,” said Michael Mitkus, marketing and sales manager of Drakontas LLC. “The array of features that we offer is the critical thing.”
One such feature is the ability to use CCTV to take pictures and screen shots, which is done by zooming a camera in on the suspect, taking the photograph, then pushing the image out into the field.
Drexel University in Philadelphia, for example, has made several successful arrests using DragonForce™ on a closed circuit device. Instead of giving a description, campus police simply distributed a digital photo of the suspect in question to all patrol officers in the field, which they could then view on their DragonForce™-enabled devices.
“Everybody is operating at the same level, looking at the same thing,” Mitkus said. “We provide a common operating picture.”
Ready, set. . .
But how realistic is it to rely on a small handheld device during a tactical mission? Clearly that’s not the time to fumble around with the latest gadgets. But according to Mitkus, it’s really just a matter of training.
“It becomes second nature due to its intuitive functionality,” he said. “During our various training exercises, we have witnessed time and time again that tactical teams quickly master the functionality and within minutes are able to train others on its capabilities.”
That said, DragonForce is part of an operational process that is used mostly for pre-entry intel - to help agencies get through the planning phase. In other words, you’re probably not going to use the device during the last 10 percent of the operation.
“Once they say go, and everyone’s in position, that’s when everything else kicks in. DragonForce helps response teams get ready for that moment,” Mitkus said, |
