Situational Awareness and IP Technolgy

Is it just me, or does it seem as if each morning we turn on the news only to find yet another incidence of first responders selflessly putting their lives on the line to remedy a situation. Some days it's a man-made tragedy

like a mass shooting or a hostage taking, other times it's an act of nature like a mud slide, sink hole or a wildfire roaring out of control as it edges ever nearer to hillside homes. We're seeing the big picture, the situation from all angles, but have you ever thought what it's like for the individual responder,  limited to only what his five senses tell him from one moment to the next?  That's why Situational Awareness is of critical importance.

The Bubble

In it's training materials the United States Coast Guard defines situational awareness as

"the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening to the team with regards to the mission. More simply it's knowing what is going on around you." (That's their italics)

 Then they go on to elaborate "when we lose the bubble, i.e., situational awareness, we increase the potential for human error."

Putting Situational Awareness into Action

Situational awareness depends on the synchronization of three components


The People

It is critical that the those to whom it falls to make critical decisions, at a fast pace, get the right information, analyze it, and predict what may happen next. In most situations, several agencies are in the midst of things - police, fire, EMT's, maybe military. If the situation is to be brought to as safe a conclusion as possible, they must coordinate their courses of action.




The Technology
Having technology in place is the best way to

•  discover where things or people are,
•  gather information from several sources
•  enable critical decision making

IP cameras 

If mounted in a locked-down building, IP camera systems can allow responders to keep track of  the whereabouts of an armed individual. If any wireless cameras are  in place to observe wildlife in preserves or parks near a wildfire, they can be used to provide information as to the direction a fire is taking or its level of containment.

Thermal Imaging

Thermal Imaging cameras, since they work by mapping images based on the detection of heat do not require light. A thermal imaging camera would be of use in areas where dense smoke keeps out light. They would

also be invaluable in a darkened building, as would I-R cameras.

Infra-red cameras

I-R cameras do need  light, the light supplied by infra-red illuminators, but since this form of light is invisible
to the human eye, can be used in a dark building without the intruder being aware of its presence.

License Plate Recognition

A synchronized License Plate Recognition system can be used to identify any suspicious cars parked in the

area . A license plate reader would record the number, extract the alpha-numeric information and compare it to a database containing license plate numbers of suspected terrorists or traffic scofflaws. In addition it may be possible to retrieve time-synchronized video of the car in question.

IP Network Attached Paging and Intercom

If a campus wide PA over IP  intercom system, which connects to the ethernet school system, is in palace SWAT teams could stay in contact with personnel in the school or even negotiate with the intruder

The Process

Most courses of action that turn out to be erroneous can be blamed on a lack of, or lapse in, situational awareness.Because any emergency situation can change from second to second, it is  important for responders to communicate with each other and stay connected to their technology. Kintronics has outfitted the military, police departments, fire departments and municipalities of all sizes with  IP surveillance camera systems. Should you need information about these, IP door access control or Emergency Paging over IP,  call 914-944-3425 to speak to an engineer or fill out an information request form