Should Your Department Have Mobile Biometrics?

Technology is constantly evolving and changing.  It seems as though every day there is a new or updated version of a product designed to make policing easier, deciding whether or not to buy in to the new technology can often be a lofty decision.  Is the technology going to be around for a while?  Is it going to be be widely used?  Is it going to work?  Is the advertised increase in efficiency going to be worth the initial purchase costs?

Fulcrum Biometrics FbF Mobile One

Should your department invest in a mobile biometric scanner?  A what?  A mobile fingerprint scanner about the size of a cell phone.  Whether or not this investment makes sense for your department might be highly dependent upon the size of your jurisdiction.  If you're a small town and know your residents, there's probably no need for this type of technology.  However, if you are a large city or a tourist destination, being able to accurately identify individuals can save you a great deal of manpower in the long run.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office (Georgia) deployed the use of seventeen mobile fingerprint scanners in throughout their department in 2012, and were looking to add ten addition units this year due to the success of the initial purchase.  In an interview with the Augusta Chronicle, Capt. Scott Gay said of the mobile fingerprint scanners, "They're a valuable tool.  They help us ID folks who try to be misleading."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has had similar findings.  The use of these devices saved a great deal of man hours in the long run.  In particular, it drastically reduced the number or mandatory rebookings due to paperwork issues.  For example, if a person was apprehended and gave their name as John Doe, that is the name that would be placed on all paperwork associated with their booking...until finger print identification returned that their true name was John Smith, causing the arresting officer to need to completely redo all paperwork associated with that booking.  With the use of the mobile fingerprint scanner, the arresting officer can determine that John Doe's true name is John Smith prior to ever getting him back to the station...well before filling out mounds of paperwork with the incorrect information.  It has allowed their officers to spend more time patrolling the streets and less time in the office performing administrative duties
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Wireless Signal Used For Radar?

You are well aware that your wireless router is used to help you broadcast your internet connection throughout your home or place of business.  But, did you also know that the same wireless router can be used much like sonar to detect whereabouts of persons within your home or place of business?  Neither did we!

British engineers from University College London have recently devised a way to use wireless signals from wireless routers as a passive radar system.  The system simply requires a computer about the size of a suitcase with two antennae and a wireless router that is broadcasting the wireless signal.

1. Suspect, 2. Wireless Router, 3. Antennae, 4. Antennae, 5. Signal processing unit

The radio waves emitted by the wireless router are altered when they come into contact with a moving object.  Therefore, this passive radar is able to detect a person's location, speed and moving direction through a brick wall up to a foot thick.  Unfortunately, one can easily thwart this passive radar system by simply being still.  Without movement, the radio waves are not altered and will not alert anyone of your location.

Karl Woodbridge and Kevin Chetty, the creators of this new technology, are hoping that they will be able to fine tune this technology to the point that it will be able to recognize the movement of your rib cage that occurs naturally as you breathe in and out.

Although there are some possible commercial grade aspects to this technology, such as a whole home radar to be aware of what young children are doing when you leave the room, the majority of applications for this technology are focused around military and law enforcement applications.

To learn more about this developing technology, check out the following video:

The Cost of Fire...and How to Bring it Down!

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the cost of fire fighting has gone up monumentally over the course of the last thirty years.  Even with numbers being adjusted for general inflation, the cost of fire is 38% higher in 2010 than it was in 1980.

It is estimated that fire costs about $328 billion per year.  That number covers everything from economic loss (such as property damage), to human loss (such as loss of life, medical care, or pain and suffering), to the actual cost of preventing fire (such as fire departments and equipment).  A significant bulk of the costs stem from prevention.

That should leave every fire department questioning what they can do to help their department save money.  So, how can you save money?  And how can you help other departments save money too?

Turnouts
Companies like Fire Dog Services deal in donated turnout gear.  Working with a company like this allows you to acquire newer gear for your department, keeping you up to date with safety regulations, even if you don't quite have the funding to do so.  Donating your older gear to Fire Dog Services can greatly impact the budget of smaller less funded departments!

Fire Equipment
Any fire department will tell you that one of their biggest expenses is their trucks and pumpers.  New vehicles are expensive, but frequent repairs on aging vehicles isn't always much cheaper.  As an alternative to buying a brand new truck, look at a company like Adirondack Fire Equipment.  They buy and sell well-conditioned used emergency service vehicles.  You can assist in the funding of your new vehicle by selling your old one, or upgrade to a newer vehicle by purchasing used.

Technology
When it comes to buying rugged computer equipment most departments deal with a moment of sticker-shock.  By looking to purchase refurbished Panasonic Toughbooks, you can essentially outfit your entire fleet for the cost of purchasing one new unit.

Grants
One of the most underused forms of funding purchases for emergency service agencies is grant funding.  Grants are essentially free funding to assist smaller, financially needy departments with the ability to get the newer equipment that they so desperately need.  And grants are available for practically everything....training, tools, apparatus, turnouts, hoses, and the list goes on-and-on.  Grant writing services are even available for those who aren't quite sure if they can properly write up a grant!

Protect Your Department From Hackers

As a government agency your department is at an excessively large risk to the damage that can be caused byRedbull quickly typing random jargon on their keyboard; most hacks actually come in a much more discreet form, viruses.
hackers.  By now you've probably read, or at least browsed the headline, of an article or two about foreign governments and radical groups attempting to gain access to various American infrastructures to either cripple their systems or gather sensitive information.  It's not quite as dramatic as the movies make it seem, with computer obsessed techies chugging

It is important that your department take the appropriate steps to deter the chance of your department falling vulnerable to their attacks.  There are a few simple steps you can take to keep your department safe.

1. Secure Your Network:  You need to do this at home and at your department!  Having an unsecured wireless network is the equivalent of leaving your front door wide open when you aren't home...it's an easy way for criminals to just walk right in unnoticed!  Locating an unsecured network can be done by looking for wifi on a smartphone or driving around with a laptop.  Once they find one, it's not too difficult to access the information you have on any computer on your network.  All of this can be prevented simply by applying a password to your network!  If you don't know how, call your internet provider or your local computer dealer or repair service to come out and help you secure it!
2. Passwords: There are two major password recommendations for your safety (for these passwords we are referring to opening your computer, accessing your online banking, or your email account).  The first is to have a strong password, which can be created by using a combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols in every password.  The second is a bit more of a hassle, but it is recommended that you change your password around every 90 days.
3. Be Cautious of Email:  Obviously all email is not bad.  But if an email address, name, or subject line seems suspicious, do yourself a favor and just delete it.  Don't even open it first!  Just put it straight in the trash!  If you do open all of your emails, be extra cautious with attachments.  If you aren't expecting a .zip file from someone, chances are it's a pretty bad idea to open it.  While we're at it, the "you have to see this video/photo/article/etc" emails are generally also virus laden. 

If you'd like more tips, check out A Hacker's Tips To Stay Safe Online.  Who better to give tips than a reformed security-breaching hacker?

Social Media & Your Department

There are many jobs where your job in a position of authority causes you to give up a little bit of your personal life.  It's always been pretty true, as officers have always been expected to maintain a certain moral code both on- and off-duty.  However, as our lives have become immersed in social media the line of what constitutes as private is becoming significantly more and more blurred.

Officers post comments and pictures about things they are doing on-duty and off-duty to places such as Facebook and Twitter.  And all too often you can look at the news and read about an officer who has been placed on administrative leave or fired for something they posted online.  Why?  What they post privately has the ability to affect not only their reputation but the reputation of their entire department as well.

The Social Media and Internet in Law Enforcement (SMILE) Conference reviewed several issues that relate directly to officers and social media....specifically steps that can be taken to ensure that officers stay out of trouble.

1.  Develop a Departmental Policy - Clearly outline acceptable/unacceptable online behaviors and have a set course of action to deal with with online behavioral issues.  Continuously modify your departmental policy as technology changes.

2.  Keep Up To Date With The Technology - Technology and social media advances are continuously evolving.  It is important to keep up to date with these changes.  If you are not technology savvy, it is recommended that you enlist the support of a younger more tech-savvy officer to help you out.

3.  Create a Training Plan - Teach officers how to keep their personal lives private.  Go above and beyond giving them a set of rules to follow; teach them that these guidelines are too keep them out of trouble and in a job.  It's about keeping them from making a mistake that will possibly cost them their career.  Many people are not aware of the reach of social media...or the fact that once something is on the internet it's there forever.  Teach your officers so that they aren't an uneducated victim of the dangers of social media.

4.  Teach Social Media Ethics - It goes without saying that police officers have their own sense of humor that the general public might not always find funny.  A prime example: trophy photos.  Will you and your fellow cop buddies find an arrest photo like the one pictured funny? Maybe.  Will your civilian friends find the same photo funny?  Maybe not....they might even find it offensive.  And that is when the trouble starts.  Definitely do not share trophy photos on your social media pages!

NEW: Butterfly Smoke Seal

We recently had the opportunity to meet Al Shaw at the 26th Annual Pittsburgh Fire, Rescue & EMS Expo in Monroeville, PA.  Al is the founder of Butterfly Safety Products, LLC.  He has invented a simplistic and affordable fire safety device.


The Butterfly Smoke Seal is a smoke mitigation safety product.  It was invented and designed by a company that produces fire barriers for building world-wide.  The concept behind it was to bring the same fire protection used in commercial buildings to a residential setting.

So, what is it?  What does it do?  The Butterfly Smoke Seal is a squishable tube of a fire retardant foam covered with a fire retardant material, 3 strips of fire retardant tape, a whistle, and a glow stick.  This simple tool device seals the gaps between the door and the door frame, keeping smoke from entering the room that you are in.  It installs in less than sixty seconds and can buy you several minutes where the room you are in does not fill with smoke.  And any firefighter will tell you how important that is, as when it comes to structural fires the smoke inhalation causes more deaths than the fire itself.

All Butterfly Smoke Seals are manufactured in the USA.  They are currently available for sale through a vendor on EBay, but the company is hoping to have them available through large retail stores by the end of the year.  Units start at about $50.00, and are sold based standard door sizes.

To learn more about the product and to see it in use, check out the following video:

Facecrook

Facecrook is a relatively new app available for iOS devices through the apple store.  The app was designed by a 25-year veteran of the police force.  It was his solution to the major void in communication between officers, throughout the department, and within the various local districts.

Facecrook is similar to Facebook.  Users create their own profile, and they are able to designate who they opt to share their information with and what information they share with those people.  From there, you are able to make additional profiles of persons of interest.  Profiles for persons of interest could be possible suspects, wanted persons, missing children, or people at risk of being lost or endangered.  These profiles contain physical descriptions, demographic information, contact information, and photographs.  Therefore, when the information about a person needs to be distributed it is ready to be distributed to other officers and the community quite quickly.

What makes Facecrook different from the standard systems like the National Crime Information Center (NCIC)?  NCIC is a national database with millions of entries, and Facecrook is not meant to be a replacement.  It is more of a supplemental program that has a focus of entries based in your local geographic area. And unlike NCIC, any of the users on Facecrook can make updates to the photographs of descriptions of a person of interest's profile.  This allows more people the ability to update real-time information at a time when it can be of the utmost importance.

What are your thoughts on Facecrook?

Detect Brain Trauma on Scene

Each year nearly 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury.  These types of injuries generally occur during falls, sport accidents, vehicular accidents, or another type of jolt to the head.  In patients with head trauma early detection is one of the most critical aspects of the patient's final outcome.

This early detection makes the first responders instrumental in detecting brain injuries so that they can alert hospital staff upon arrival.  Obvious signs that brain injury may have occurred include an obvious wound to the head, bleeding from the nose or ears, change in consciousness, confusion, headache, loss of balance, unequal pupil size, and slurred speech.  However, these symptoms only alert first responders to the presence of brain trauma.  What if it were possible to detect just how serious a brain injury was in the field?

The Infrascanner Model 2000 from Infrascan makes brain injury detection in the field a reality.  The Infrascanner utilizes Near-Infrared technology to screen patients for intracranial bleeding.  In as little as 2-3 minutes, the scanner can detect hematomas greater than 3.5cc in volume up to 2.5cm deep in the brain tissue.  Although these quick scans are not a replacement for CT scans performed at hospitals, they do make it easier to identify high-risk patients ensuring that they are quickly transported to facility that will be able to properly treat their condition.

Infrascanners are light-weight, making them highly portable.  They can be powered utilizing either a rechargable NiMH battery pack or four AA batteries.  The unit turns on and off automatically by either attaching or removing disposable shields.

At this time, MedLogic is the exclusive dealer of Infrascanners in the US.

Safe Realistic Bomb Squad Training

Combat Training Solutions (CTS) is a small business owned by a service-disabled veteran.  They specialize in military training and realistic battlefield effects; however, many of these training tools can also be utilized by police departments as well!  CTS specializes in non-pyrotechnic improvised explosive device (IED) simulators.

 

What makes these non-pyrotechnic simulators a must have for all bomb squad training?  It's quite simple.  Imagine a live bomb training scenario...that is completely safe.  The non-pyrotechnic simulators from CTS have realistic sounds and visual effects (they are working on a flash for the next generation of simulators).  When the simulator detonates, it "explodes" it emits a loud bang and disperses a non-toxic cloud of powder that very closely resembles what a real exploding bomb looks like.

Previous pyrotechnic training required the use of either dummy-devices or live-devices.  Training with dummy-devices is often not taken seriously, as there is no consequence for inadvertently triggering the device.  Live-devices are not used too often in training due to the inherent risks and dangers that are associated with the accidental detonation of the device.  Safety of officers usually trumps the option of training with live devices.  The non-pyrotechnic simulation devices from CTS give the real feel and consequences of training with a live device without the risks.  The only risk associated with CTS non-pyrotechnic simulation devices is that of hearing loss, as the devices "explode" at around 140 decibels.  However, this can easily be combated by utilizing protective gear such as earplugs.

CTS simulation devices are so safe that they even sell a suicide bomber training simulator vest.  The vest can be detonated without causing any harm to the individual wearing it.  The ability to be this up-close and personal with the training devices allows for those utilizing them to get hands-on experience and to develop muscle memory and improve their reflexes, both of which could save lives in the field.



Check out some of CTS's simulation devices in action in the following video:

Nixle: Community Alert Systems

Unless you've spent the last few days isolated from society without internet and news coverage, there's a good chance that you've probably heard something about Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy is currently a Category 2 hurricane.  As of this morning, the hurricane is affecting the Florida coastline.  Although there are various projected paths and a bit of uncertainty as to where Hurricane Sandy will be making her debut on land, at this point in time the hurricane is predicted to severely affect almost all of the East coast!

A weather event such as Hurricane Sandy will most likely bring a great deal of rain, thunder and lightning, and extremely high winds (upwards of 100+ mph).

Depending on the location of your department and the severity of the storm, there is a pretty good likelihood that your department might be greatly affected by this storm.

Although it is too late to really institute any new technology for your department at this point in time, every department should look into Nixle for future major weather issues (and major events in general).  Civilian communications are critical to an effective emergency response, and over 85% of civilians can be instantly reached on their mobile phone by text message. In crisis situations, timely information saves lives, and there is no more effective channel to quickly reach large populations than mobile text messaging.

Nixle allows police departments, fire departments and various other city agencies to use them as a publishing system to send alerts via text message and email to the residents of your community.  This information can go out to the community as a whole or it can be targeted toward specific locations within the community, such as alerting residents in a certain section of town that it is recommended they evacuate due to flood waters.

As if the service offered by Nixle wasn't great enough, this program is FREE to public service agencies.  To enroll, you simple need to register your agency on their website.

FI Card Apps

Every officer knows what an FI Card is.  For those readers that are unaware, it's a Field Interview Card.  They are utilized when an officer stops and talks with someone on the street, they may not be under arrest though. It is a generally a notebook sized questionnaire that asks name, DOB, address, school, scars, nicknames, tattoos, gang affiliation, and other questions that enable full description of the person. The information is then usually entered into a data bank.  Information can then be retrieved if there is a crime where a victim alerts offers to a nickname or a tattoo.

With the advances in technology there is no longer a need to carry around the little notebook to do FI's.  There are various smartphone apps that allow you to complete the forms on your phone and even upload them directly to the the database that they are stored in.  Doing this interview on a smart phone also allows the opportunity to include pictures of both the person as well as any distinguishing marks (such as scars or tattoos).

Field Contact is one of the top selling FI Card apps for iPhone.  Field Contact is the most technologically advanced and convenient way to document, photograph, search and email all aspects of your law enforcement contacts directly to your iPhone.  The app can be downloaded from the app store (currently it is $4.99).

There are also similar apps for Android phones, such as Police Field Interview FI Card.  Police Field Interview FI Card is currently selling for $5.99 in the Android app store.  It has the same capabilities of Field Contact.

These apps are great for departments looking to save on the cost of paper goods, as well as those looking to upgrade to electronic 'paperwork'.

Drones: Not Just For Military & Police Surveillance

We have previously written about drones and how police departments are utilizing drones.  When used by police, the drones are not used for constant surveillance of an area.  They are sent into the air when a situation arises that officers on the ground are not able to get a clear picture of.

Firefighters often have the same issue.  When fighting a large fire, such as the wildfires recently in Colorado, it is difficult for firefighters on the ground to have a full understanding of what is happening with the fire around them.  This is where drones have been found to be useful.

Drones are lightweight.  They can fly in virtually any weather situation (without putting a human pilot at risk).  A drone can take off from virtually anywhere (unlike a helicopter or plane).  They are more cost efficient, as they run off a small electric engine that can generally fly for several hours.  This allows a person on the ground to quickly and safely collect information regarding the fire.

The information a drone can collect will definitely vary upon the model being utilized, but drones designed for firefighter use are able to:

• give a bird's eye view of the scene
• detect unseen persons (such as those trapped under rubble) utilizing infrared cameras
• detect dangerous/poisonous gases

The concept of utilizing drones for firefighting is actually taking off quite quickly in European countries.  Check out the following video of one being utilized in Germany.

The Claymore Mine of Tasers

This new product by TASER was actually brought to my attention by a police member, and although it might be deemed as overkill for some, it definitely has its place where it will be useful!

This new product is called the TASER Shockwave.  It is essentially a claymore mine of TASERs.  The TASER Shockwave perimeter control system is the first generation of new TASER Remote Area Denial™ (TRAD) technology allowing for both increased safety and stand-off capability during hostile situations through the innovative use of TASER International's field-proven Neuro Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) technology.

• Stackable, easy to set up platform for Less Lethal perimeter control
• TASER Shockwave controls a door entrance or other target zone
• The TASER Shockwave can be mounted to the front of police or military vehicle 
• The TASER shockwave is remote controlled, allowing officers to utilize the product away from danger
• Multiple Unit Configuration - The Shockwave ECD can be arranged in vertical and horizontal configurations with up to 12 units on a single control box, allowing up to three salvos.
• Versatile Mounting System - The TASER Shockwave can be mounted on a variety of objects, such as vehicles, or fencing.
• Unit Payload - Each single TASER Shockwave unit has a payload of six TASER cartridges, allowing for multiple person incapacitation through Area Denial.
• Self-Supporting Leg System - The TASER Shockwave system can be deployed in virtually any terrain.
• Manual Sighting System - Ensures user accuracy.
• Vehicle Mountable - The Shockwave ECD's versatile mounting system gives it the ability to be fully mounted to vehicles for various situational control.
• Arcing Six Shot - Each single TASER Shockwave unit has a payload of six TASER cartridges, allowing for multiple person incapacitation through Area Denial.
• All Terrain Setup - The TASER Shockwave system can be deployed in virtually any terrain.

IMPACT: Making the world safer through technology

Peace of mind comes with confidence in knowing you can rely on your software provider and that your needs are met.  Mission critical software for police, fire, EMS, public safety and justice personnel is IMPACT's only business.  They concentrate specifically on satisfying the information-sharing demands of first responders.  Their system was built utilizing intimate knowledge of police, fire and EMS procedures...as the creates have nearly three decades of experience in the field.

 

IMPACT provides the world's most advanced information-sharing innovations.  Their technologies are engineered to perform under the most demanding circumstances, enabling quick responses.  This keeps officers safe and provides necessary information at critical moments when every second counts.  IMPACT's products include computer aided dispatching, complete records management, mobile tactical field reporting, ticket processing, GPS automatic vehicle location, precision mapping, alarm billing, special interfaces for E-911, NCIC, live-scan fingerprinting technology, jail management systems, and fire/EMS records management systems.  There is essentially a product for every first responder out there!

IMPACT understands that no two fire, police, EMS, or private safety departments are exactly alike.  Because of this, the programs offered by IMPACT are extremely versatile.  The programs offered can be purchased as a whole or just specific programs can be utilized.  All IMPACT programs are completely compatible with one another, allowing a seamless flow of information between multiple agencies within the same area.

A few of the optional software programs include:

• Alarm Billing: allows law enforcement personnel to track and charge false alarm violators
• Photo Imaging: Supports mug shots, crime scene photos, evidence photos, digital imagery, sound files, and video clips
• E911: Enables rapid data entry for immediate dispatch of response units
• Field Reporting: enables real-time creation and submission of incident reports from the field

To learn more about IMPACT's technology solutions, visit them at www.impact-sys.com or give them a call at (800)871-1244.

Hello Minority Report???

For those who haven't seen the movie Minority Report.  Minority Report is a 2002 American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is set in the year 2054, where "PreCrime", a specialized police department, apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge provided by three psychics.  It seems a bit far-fetched that people (or a machine) could actually predict crime....however, it is happening.  Our technology, might not be quite as predictive as that shown in the movie, but it is still quite impressive.


A few intuitive developers reformulated the technology that was originally created to predict when and where aftershocks would occur following an earthquake.  This led to a new program called PredPol, which actually predicts where crimes are likely to occur in place-based prediction boxes as small as 500 feet by 500 feet. Officers are briefed at roll call on the highest-probability “hot spots” for that day and devote extra attention to those areas—as they see fit.  Unlike other programs that tell officers where crime has occurred, PredPol tells officers where crime is likely to occur.  It simply gives officers the tools they need to increase their odds of stopping a crime or being in the vicinity of a crime.


The program is remarkably easy to use.  The information that needs to be distributed to officers can be viewed from virtually any technological device or printed out on paper.  The program runs off-site through a cloud-based service, meaning there is no requirement for departments to bring on additional technical staff.  The program is also completely secure, and does not ever collect any information about officers or offenders.


Field use of the program has been successful.  It has been implemented in the Los Angeles Foothills and in the City of Santa Cruz.  The Los Angeles’ Foothill Division saw a decrease of 13% in crimes, compared to an increase of 0.4% in the rest of the city where the implementation had not yet happened.  In the City of Santa Cruz, burglaries were down 27% in July 2011 compared with July 2010.


Check out the following video from CBS News to view the program in action by the LAPD.


To learn more about this remarkable program, contact PredPol.

Product Review: Wired Blue's MyPD App

Wired Blue is dedicated to providing new and innovative solutions innovative solutions to police departments. They also aim to provide new and fiscally responsible pricing models for cities and towns.


Their first product, the MyPD app does just that. Police Departments are using this phone app to provide you with better service and improve communication.

With MyPD you can:

• Follow the latest tweets from your department
• Send Crime tips
• Commend an Officer
• Submit Feedback
• Ask Questions
• Get Directions to the Department
• Easily find the Police Officers Names and Numbers that you need
• These are just some of the tools that your Police Department is making available to you here. New features are always being added!

A growing number of Police Departments are utilizing this app for the citizens they serve!  Citizens of your community can use this app to connect with your department, by giving one-stop information from your websites, Facebook, and Twitter right on your smartphone. This puts information on services, contact information, and feedback all into one iPhone and Android app.


This app is completely free to the citizens of your community, and is available to departments at a low price.  to learn more, contact Wired Blue.

Importance of In-Vehicle Cameras

As a dealer of refurbished Panasonic Toughbooks utilized primarily in police cruisers, we are questioned quite often about vehicle cameras.  Do we sell them?  No, we do not, but the models of Toughbooks that we sell (such as the CF-29 and the CF-30) will easily support the software and hardware required for a camera.  And secondly, are they worth the money?  Absolutely!

Having a vehicle-mounted camera serves a great deal of functions.  The primary benefits of the vehicle mounted cameras are officer safety, increased professionalism, training, and homeland security.  We'll touch briefly on all of these topics...

Homeland Security

Although it is not generally viewed as an vehicle-camera, there are automated license plate readers.  These assist with the location of vehicles, as they are significantly more effective at monitoring license plates related to wants and warrants than an officer alone.

Increased Professionalism

Knowing that their actions can easily be reviewed because they were recorded, officers tend to be more likely to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by their department.  No one wants to be the spoof video of what not to do used in training classes.

Training

As just mentioned, those videos of what to do and what no to do come from somewhere.  And there is no better way to teach new officers how to appropriately approach and interact with a subject than actual footage that shows what can happen in the field.

Officer Safety

Officer safety is two-fold.  By recording incidents as they occur, officers are protected against false claims of overly-assertive force or even abuse.  The cameras also record assaults taken against police officers.  Recently, an in-vehicle camera recorded the shooting of a Yolo County (CA) deputy, who regrettably did not survive.  Because of the recording, officers were able to apprehend the shooter, eliminating a cop-killer from the streets.

Toughbooks Increase Officer Efficiency!

Most police officers spend the majority of their time out on the streets and in their police cruiser.  Yet, a great deal of the paperwork that comes along with policing forces officers to be off the streets and away from their police car.  As any officer is aware, logging a crime report is a lengthy process that usually starts with a home visit. The officer then has to take notes in a notebook and then write up a crime report. Typically, the report is then taken back to the station, where is it typed up. This system is not only lengthy, but also prone to errors in typing and reading faxes.  Plus, it forces officers to be pulled away from their cruisers sometimes up to a third of his or her shift.

Panasonic Toughbooks are changing that.  Toughbook rugged mobile computers are already in use by numerous police departments across the country, and are proving to be a revolutionary resource to police; at a time when spending cuts are high, a device that enables the force to save time and money is invaluable.  When Toughbooks are equipped with a mobile-broadband device, the Toughbook enables the police force to operate a mobile office system.  When out on the road, officers can use it to access the same systems that are available in the office, so they can be alerted to incidents as soon as they are reported, and can therefore respond in the quickest time possible.  Being connected to the office also allows officers to process any paperwork directly from their cruiser, keeping them on the streets and prepared to go if another incident arises.

The Toughbook fits into a docking station or a vehicle mount. It can be easily removed, allowing the officer to take the computer into a witnesses home to document any notes directly into the system.

There are a great deal of options for departments to choose from when they decide to put a Toughbook into their vehicles.  It is highly recommended to opt for a fully-rugged version of the Toughbook, such as the CF-19, CF-29, or CF-30, a they are built specifically for the wear-and-tear that comes with mounting a computer in a moving vehicle that will be exposed to significant temperature fluctuations.

Cost of purchase is always a significant purchasing issue for departments, especially with the budget cuts they've had to face over the past few years.  Finding a reputable refurbished Panasonic Toughbook dealer can significantly decrease the purchase cost, usually at savings upwards of 75% of the cost of a new Toughbook.  It is important when purchasing refurbished Toughbooks to do so through a dealer that offers a substantial warranty.  Although Toughbooks are built for abuse, there are instances of hardware or software failure that might need to be addressed in the future.

Event Spotlight: Pittsburgh Fire Rescue & EMS Expo

January 14th and 15th, 2012 will be the 25th Annual Pittsburgh Fire Rescue & EMS Expo.  The expo is going to be held at the Monroeville Convention Center.  The Pittsburgh Fire Rescue & EMS Expo is one of the nation’s largest and best attended trade shows for firefighters, paramedics, EMTs and other emergency services personnel.  The expo brings over 200 of the nation’s finest companies together to showcase thousands of products and services.

It seems that most expos and conventions for emergency services personnel tend to be geared primarily towards those in law enforcement.  The Pittsburgh Fire Rescue & EMS Expo, however, is geared primarily towards fire and EMS personnel.  With that said, there are still ample opportunities for those in law enforcement to learn about new services and products as well.

This expo gives departments the opportunity to:

• Visit hundreds of exhibits with thousands of products and services
• Meet representatives from some of the nation's finest companies, particularly those that focus primarily on emergency services personnel
• See the latest technological advances for fire, EMS, haz-mat, rescue, and more
• Save money with show only discounts and specials

Researchers Are Working On Safer Rescue Equipment

A company called GlowZone, Inc. has been working with photoluminescent (PL) products for years.  For those that aren't well-versed in chemistry, photoluminescent (PL) products glow in the dark.  The most common product on the market is probably the glow stick, which are throughout the emergency services industry.  However, until recently, these products were only available in the glow-stick form (which only lasted for a few hours) and in a flat tape (which really was more reflective than glow in the dark).  With some pretty impressive scientific breakthroughs, GlowZone, Inc. has managed to change that.  They have managed to make a PL product that can be used on multiple surfaces and maintains its brightness over time, as it recharges within seconds of being in sunlight.

Fire officer in a partially lit and completely dark stairwell with turnouts outfitted with GlowZone technology.

Although they have multiple applications for their technologies, one of the most beneficial has to be that of adding it to fire safety gear.  GlowZone makes your fire safety products photoluminescent, helping emergency crews locate and activate critical equipment; and preventing injuries from obstacles like fire extinguisher cabinets and hose racks, even when the building, hospital, hotel or mine is in total darkness.  They have most recently begun testing this same technology onto turnout coat and pants, making not only the tools more visible in the dark but the firefighters as well.

This technology was recently tested at a training center in Anaheim, California.  With the photoluminescent gear, the firefighters were able to reduce the time it took to find a down firefighter by 45 seconds, or approximately 30 percent. Those few seconds are huge in a life or death situation.  The below video shows the technology in action.

This new technology is currently only in the testing and research, it proving to be useful and effective.  Hopefully it will be available on the market soon.