Building a critical network of support for first responders

Building a critical network of support for first responders

Tony Gray and TJ Kennedy explore the new technologies enabling better and more connected critical communications within the public safety sector

First responders such as police, fire and rescue and medical services have always relied on high-quality voice communications, built on designedfor-purposed narrowband technologies such as TETRA and P25 with dedicated network implementations and spectrum. The availability, security and reliability of these technologies infer on them the right to be termed ‘mission critical’, since lives can depend on the ability of the user to immediately connect and communicate.

These traditional narrowband technologies are very effective in their ability to carry mission critical voice services, and they also have some mission critical data capability such as sending short messages and images. However, with the availability of mobile broadband, the potential for harnessing a new range of critical data services to enhance the work of first responders is in the process of being realised.

Mission critical broadband

Currently, work is underway to specify mission critical features required by first responders for commercial LTE/4G networks and incorporate these into open technology standards. This work was first catalysed by TCCA in 2012, and development and testing work is ongoing in 3GPP to ensure the standards meet the needs of critical users, and that products and services under development adhere to the standards specifications. 3GPP is the organisation that unites telecommunications standards development bodies around the world and provides their members with a stable environment to produce the reports and specifications that define 3GPP technologies. TCCA is the 3GPP Market Representation Partner for critical communications, ensuring that the needs of the mission critical market are addressed in the standards development process.

Once the standards are specified, there needs to be a thorough testing process to help validate them, and to accelerate the time to market for mission critical products. These are called Plugtests™, and are run by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) – initially founded to serve European needs but now with a global perspective. ETSI is a 3GPP organisational partner and one of its roles is to help develop 4G and 5G mobile communications.

Earlier this year, ETSI completed its third MCX Plugtests™ event (MCX is the combined term for Mission Critical Push to Talk (MCPTT), MCDATA and MCVIDEO). These Plugtests ensure real world interoperability between implementations and open standards compliance. TCCA provides key technical support for the Plugtests, which are also endorsed by PSTA.

This work will eventually enable mobile broadband networks to have mission critical capability, and for first responders to take full advantage of the plethora of data services that can enhance their work in the protection of people and property.

The rise of the IoLST

As a complement to the emerging mission critical mobile broadband services, there is huge interest in the potential of the lifesaving side of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its applications, and how this network of connected devices can assist first responders.

There are billions of devices connected to the IoT, with sensors collecting and sharing data in real time, and there is a growing subset of the IoT known as the IoLST – the Internet of Life Saving Things. IoLST devices are those that help protect individuals, communities and infrastructure, and which can support first responders in their daily operations.

The availability and variety of these devices is increasing each day. They include sensors and devices in ‘smart’ cities, which are in many instances considered part of the IoLST and can be used to improve the response in an emergency. Examples of sensors that could be accessed to share critically important information in emergencies include those associated with street cameras, highway/traffic monitoring, building and public surveillance. Other applications include public panic buttons, facial recognition technology, and gunshot and audible recognition sensors.

Smart devices need smart analytics

The number of devices and the amount of data identified and collected by the IoLST are anticipated to grow exponentially in the next several years, so it is important to be able to efficiently evaluate the data as it only becomes useful information once analysed. Take facial recognition as an example: the analytics need to be smart enough to identify the same face taking the same route several times and flag it as suspicious. For surveillance, the analytics need to be sophisticated enough to recognise the lone package in an airport that hasn’t been moved within critical timescales, and send an alert to the authorities.

Many consumer devices can also assist first responders, and have huge potential via the IoLST. Connected medical devices can provide key information to help monitor chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma, and enable remote intervention so patients do not always have to travel to the hospital for routine checks. This is not only more convenient for the patient, but frees up the time of health professionals to increase their availability for critical care.

Smart watches and fitness trackers have been widely adopted by consumers, and can send emergency messages if they detect a dangerous health issue, alerting health professionals to a potential heart attack victim, for instance, and sending the exact location of the casualty. There are also ‘connected pills’ that send a message to health carers once digested by the patient; and smart medicine dispensers that record and transmit usage. Both of these can enable a higher success rate for prescribed treatments, especially for the elderly, and health professional need only intervene when necessary rather than having to constantly check up on the patients.

Virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, as well as home monitoring and security systems, also have the ability to receive feedback from sensors to alert homeowners and public safety professionals in the event of a suspected burglary, or a sudden rise in temperature indicating a fire. These connected devices can also provide status reports, including real time video. In the future it is likely that photos, video and situational data sent to emergency services via 112, 911 or 999 will be rapidly analysed and converted into actionable information, so home assistants currently used for personal convenience will become IoLST assets for first responders.

Connected devices for critical support

For fire and rescue services, the use of connected unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – or drones – to scope out the extent of a wildfire, or to give an accurate overview of a road or rail crash, is becoming more common. Thermal imaging can pinpoint the heart of a fire, with video and images sent to the incident command and control. Land-based robot drones that can ‘see’ through smoke are sent into burning buildings to transmit images of the status, or into situations where hazardous materials are involved so firefighters can assess the best way to respond to the incident. This not only keeps the firefighters safer, it can improve the outcome of the response.

Police forces are increasingly adopting body cameras that can record unfolding events for post-situation analysis and evidence, and the newer versions can live stream video from an incident over broadband networks. This live streaming video capability is a critical tool for police on the front line, sending crucial information to command and control to enable the most informed response to an incident and improve officer safety. It is important to note, however, that each country will have its own rules and regulations around data privacy and civil liberties, so implementing devices such as body cameras and drones is not a simple or automatic process.

It is clear that public safety and commercial users are recognising that there are many new tools that can be utilised to support the work of first responders, and provide insights to manufacturers, service providers, public safety and government regulators to ensure these technologies are developed and deployed in a way that best serves and supports our first responders.

Drones as first responders

In December 2015 the Chula Vista Police Department in California formed the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Committee to study the use of the technology in its public safety operations. UAS Committee members met dozens of times to study best practices, policies, and procedures regarding the use of UAS technology in law enforcement. A special focus of the team’s research was an effort to address concerns about public trust, civil liberties, and the public’s right to privacy during the operation of CVPD UAS systems.

Prior to implementing its UAS Program, CVPD discussed its plan for UAS operations in the media, in public forums, and in posted information about the project on the CVPD website. This outreach included a mechanism for the public to contact or email the UAS Team to comment on CVPD’s UAS policy, or to express concerns or provide feedback. It is important to note that, out of respect for civil liberties and personal privacy, CVPD’s UAS Policy specifically prohibits the use of UAS Systems for general surveillance or general patrol operations. After exhaustive planning and research, CVPD activated its UAS Program in the summer of 2017 to support tactical operations by CVPD first responders.

Since October 2018 and with strong support from the community, Chula Vista Police has been deploying drones from the rooftop of the Police Department Headquarters to 911 calls and other reports of emergency incidents such as crimes in progress, fires, traffic accidents, and reports of dangerous subjects. This Drones as a First Responder (DFR) System is transformational by providing first responders with something they have never had before, a faster perspective of the situation since the drones are deployed to the incident and arrive well before ground units.

The on-board camera streams HD video back to the department’s real-time crime centre where a teleoperator, who is a trained critical incident manager, not only controls the drone remotely, but communicates with the units in the field giving them information and tactical intelligence about what they are responding to. The system also streams the video feed to the cell phones of the first responders and supervisors on the ground so they can see exactly what the drone is seeing. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

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