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36 Law Enforcement Technology May 2014 www.officer.com TALKING POINTS incident commander and command center, and they are then able to evaluate and communicate critical findings, updates or request backup for the entire first responder team. Technologies that provide real-time information across broader coverage areas are also critically important dur- ing disaster response. The 2013 Boston marathon tragedy highlighted the key role that real-time technology can play in helping understand and piecing together the chain of events, coordinate responses and identify the suspects. Boston offi- cials were able to quickly understand the scenario, garner key information, identify and apprehend suspects within 72 hours by leveraging hundreds of video sources from cameras and cell phones, social media and advanced analytics. Today, many public safety agencies are setting up real-time crime centers to help put all this data to work for them. They integrate complex and often disparate data elements into one unified, operational view through the aggregation of records, video, and other data sources, while making them available in real time. What's more, analytics technology can be utilized to analyze photo and video clips from hundreds of disparate sources based on specific search criteria. With a real-time crime center, police departments can support first responders in the field and give them timely access to actionable informa- tion to help address and resolve the emergency situation. The collective responsibility Whether natural or man-made, each disaster has taught us one underlying lesson—it is everyone's shared responsibility (public safety agencies, businesses, institutions and individu- als) to participate in proactive planning and disaster response efforts. Public safety agencies alone cannot and should not handle the services, resources and infrastructure required dur- ing and after a disaster. One successful example is the partnership with public safe- ty agencies and private businesses, such as gas stations, local businesses, communication technology suppliers and health- care service providers. With approximately 80 percent of the needed resources owned by the private sector, both public and private sectors saw a beneficial relationship to pool resources and expertise to better improve disaster response, recovery and management. Private sector partners are now integrated into the police or fire department's emergency plans and protocols devel- opment, training and exercises. The quicker businesses and organizations are operational post-disaster, the faster they can provide critical services (such as healthcare) and resources (such as gas, food and water) for the citizens. This allows police departments to focus their time on critical emergency calls, rescue and recovery efforts, debris removal, and so on. Citizens are just as responsible in the planning and recovery efforts. They should be well prepared at home with the food, water, batteries and back-up generators to last them the first few days, while the local businesses focus on restoring operations. As we plan ahead for the next potential event, we must understand there is no one best disaster response plan. We must always learn from each and our preparations and plans should always be continually refined to ensure we're incorpo- rating these lessons learned, so that cities and states are even more prepared with the right expertise, resources and tools for next time. ■ There is no room for surprises if a technician refueling a generator is not prepared for a site that requires natural gas. 80 Lowell Street, Rochester, New York 14605-1831 (800) 538-0022 • (585) 546-7143 • FAX: (585) 546-6157 www.tele-lite.com Portable Power & Light Portable Power & Light Rev. 2/14 Portable Power & light where you need it! TEU1000DA 500W Quartz TEU2.LED 20,000 Lumens For optimum performance and safety, we recommend you read the Owner's Manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment. Connection of generators to house power requires transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel. Consult a qualifed electrician. • Honda EU1000i or EU2000i Generator • 4 to 8 hrs run time • Clean Power • Super Quiet • Simultaneous AC/DC Call 800-538-0022 for more information. Circle 12 on Reader Service Card LET_34-36_TalkingPoints0514.indd 36 4/18/14 2:12 PM