by Christine Federico Hoffman, producer/assistant director, Cranford TV
The increased use of drones and live video technology are becoming indispensable tools for emergency personnel when fighting crime and communicating to their citizens during emergencies.
In a special presentation by the Jersey Access Group (a consortium of local public access channels in New Jersey) members of police, fire and emergency management personnel told of their increased efficiency with these new advanced tools. The use of drones exponentially increases police effectiveness during events for crowd control, suspect tracking and firefighting. “We’ve gone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said John Centanni, Emergency Management Coordinator for East Hanover Township.
The city of Elizabeth now has 15 trained drone pilots, said Luis Figueiredo, a detective in the Elizabeth Police Dept. Drones are sent out on about 30 to 40 calls daily. The city’s first responder drone has gone out on 1,400 calls since January. Drones are used to track fleeing suspects, some who thought they had lost the police but were then surprised to find them waiting at the next corner. Drones also are used to monitor large festivals to track potential problems and to allow officers immediately to assess the scope of a developing problem. Drones are even used on ordinary calls, such as fender benders.
“We can send our drone and see if the call is still there, and see if the call is more serious,” Figueiredo said. “If we get on scene quick (with the drone) we can already ask for a tow truck. The number of calls we do on a daily basis justifies the existence of the technology. We are able to cover a larger area in quicker response time. Say school is letting out or it’s rush hour. You can get on scene quicker and make better decisions.”
In one vivid example of the benefit of live drone technology, Figueiredo recounted fighting a large car carrier ship fire. Drones were used overhead to pinpoint the fire’s hot areas and to help firefighters direct their water streams. In the past, firefighters had to stand on surrounding structures to see which direction the fire was heading.
This live video technology is made possible through a company called Live U, which built its brand helping broadcast television deliver live images worldwide without the use of expensive satellite trucks. Live U bonds cellular service and Wi-Fi to create a strong video signal that is sent to the customer’s receiver. The technology also now is being embraced in emergency management circles.
Centanni said that multiple agencies in East Hanover joined to establish its drone team to use for emergency and informational purposes. Police joining forces with OEM, fire, EMS and DPW created more funding opportunities and increased the number of pilot personnel and shared equipment. “To make the program work, the municipality must buy into the idea wholly, and commit to training, updating equipment and streaming technologies.” he said.
Having a better command of the emergency situation also helps to strengthen a partnership between OEM and local public access stations, which have become critical in reaching citizens quickly with accurate information. Some local public access stations are sending out live broadcasts during emergencies as a link between their city’s authorities and citizens.
When a local popular food pantry burned to the ground in Piscataway, Mayor Brian C. Wahler appeared on Piscataway Community Television live to share facts and to calm citizens. Others, such as the City of Bloomfield, have streamed OEM meetings live before a major anticipated weather event to calm residents’ fears and to show officials working to keep everyone safe.
Municipalities have found this partnership to be beneficial and even essential during a time when many curious citizens turn to gossip on Facebook, which often contains inaccurate information. “It’s important to get good info out to the community quickly,” said Bob Duthaler, executive producer and partner at DNS Media Group and president of JAG. “Or else rumors grow.“
Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia said that releasing accurate information in a timely manner is increasing in importance. “I think just the hysteria from the bad information that develops from instant messaging from people…they could put any spin they want,” he said. “It could go anywhere from we have a possible breaking and entering to turning that into someone broke into someone’s house and we have a hostage situation. So, it cuts that short and gets out the real message. That real-time message that comes from an authority stifles a lot of concerns.”
OEM’s Increased Reliance on Drones and Live Technology
Posted: July 12, 2024 by Doug Seidel
by Christine Federico Hoffman, producer/assistant director, Cranford TV
The increased use of drones and live video technology are becoming indispensable tools for emergency personnel when fighting crime and communicating to their citizens during emergencies.
In a special presentation by the Jersey Access Group (a consortium of local public access channels in New Jersey) members of police, fire and emergency management personnel told of their increased efficiency with these new advanced tools. The use of drones exponentially increases police effectiveness during events for crowd control, suspect tracking and firefighting. “We’ve gone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons,” said John Centanni, Emergency Management Coordinator for East Hanover Township.
The city of Elizabeth now has 15 trained drone pilots, said Luis Figueiredo, a detective in the Elizabeth Police Dept. Drones are sent out on about 30 to 40 calls daily. The city’s first responder drone has gone out on 1,400 calls since January. Drones are used to track fleeing suspects, some who thought they had lost the police but were then surprised to find them waiting at the next corner. Drones also are used to monitor large festivals to track potential problems and to allow officers immediately to assess the scope of a developing problem. Drones are even used on ordinary calls, such as fender benders.
“We can send our drone and see if the call is still there, and see if the call is more serious,” Figueiredo said. “If we get on scene quick (with the drone) we can already ask for a tow truck. The number of calls we do on a daily basis justifies the existence of the technology. We are able to cover a larger area in quicker response time. Say school is letting out or it’s rush hour. You can get on scene quicker and make better decisions.”
In one vivid example of the benefit of live drone technology, Figueiredo recounted fighting a large car carrier ship fire. Drones were used overhead to pinpoint the fire’s hot areas and to help firefighters direct their water streams. In the past, firefighters had to stand on surrounding structures to see which direction the fire was heading.
This live video technology is made possible through a company called Live U, which built its brand helping broadcast television deliver live images worldwide without the use of expensive satellite trucks. Live U bonds cellular service and Wi-Fi to create a strong video signal that is sent to the customer’s receiver. The technology also now is being embraced in emergency management circles.
Centanni said that multiple agencies in East Hanover joined to establish its drone team to use for emergency and informational purposes. Police joining forces with OEM, fire, EMS and DPW created more funding opportunities and increased the number of pilot personnel and shared equipment. “To make the program work, the municipality must buy into the idea wholly, and commit to training, updating equipment and streaming technologies.” he said.
Having a better command of the emergency situation also helps to strengthen a partnership between OEM and local public access stations, which have become critical in reaching citizens quickly with accurate information. Some local public access stations are sending out live broadcasts during emergencies as a link between their city’s authorities and citizens.
When a local popular food pantry burned to the ground in Piscataway, Mayor Brian C. Wahler appeared on Piscataway Community Television live to share facts and to calm citizens. Others, such as the City of Bloomfield, have streamed OEM meetings live before a major anticipated weather event to calm residents’ fears and to show officials working to keep everyone safe.
Municipalities have found this partnership to be beneficial and even essential during a time when many curious citizens turn to gossip on Facebook, which often contains inaccurate information. “It’s important to get good info out to the community quickly,” said Bob Duthaler, executive producer and partner at DNS Media Group and president of JAG. “Or else rumors grow.“
Bloomfield Fire Chief Louis Venezia said that releasing accurate information in a timely manner is increasing in importance. “I think just the hysteria from the bad information that develops from instant messaging from people…they could put any spin they want,” he said. “It could go anywhere from we have a possible breaking and entering to turning that into someone broke into someone’s house and we have a hostage situation. So, it cuts that short and gets out the real message. That real-time message that comes from an authority stifles a lot of concerns.”
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