How do police and EMS technology advancements maintain connectivity at critical times? Cellular, for starters
Wireless public safety technologies will be an ongoing aid to help police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders perform their duties. These digital tools modernize operations; create administrative efficiencies; minimize administrative burdens; and help responders protect, serve, and build trust in our communities. Here’s a look at some of the top public safety technology trends that enhance emergency specialists’ vital work.
Police technology trends
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent for predictive policing, facial recognition and automated reporting, the need for secure, wireless technology in the police force will become even more vital. The combination of AI and wireless network connections will give officers the ability to analyze historical data to anticipate and prevent criminal activities, match facial features through camera use, and streamline administrative tasks through language processing. In addition, wireless police technology can be deployed to allow smart sensors and cameras to monitor public spaces for unusual activities, which helps reduce crime and enhance public safety.
Fire department technology trends
Similar to police technology trends, fire departments will continue to require wireless technology to safely perform their duties and enhance public safety. Technologies such as Wi-Fi, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), GPS/GNSS, and onboard computers are table stakes for fire department vehicles. Fire department tech is further enhanced using:
- Transit signal priority systems adjust traffic signals to reduce the amount of time an emergency vehicle spends at a light.
- Augmented reality (AR) provides visibility inside structures to help firefighters understand layouts and enhance their situational awareness in smoke-filled environments.
- AI training simulates the behavior of fire in different conditions, such as wind speed, humidity, and fuel type. This can help firefighters develop effective evacuation and fire suppression plans.
- Drones provide real-time video feeds and thermal imaging data to identify hazards and hotspots or help locate missing persons, assess building damage, and monitor a fire’s progress.
EMS trends
EMS personnel will continue to require improved reliability in cellular connectivity for in-vehicle Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), mobile devices, and electronic patient care reporting (ePCR) systems. MDTs provide messaging and reporting functions and allow EMS to communicate the public safety answering point (PSAP) — the call center responsible for answering emergency calls for police, firefighters, and ambulance services. MDTs used to communicate with other first responders. Another prime concern for EMS is redundancy and connectivity based on multiple cellular networks for the ePCR computers.
Situational trends
Wireless technologies will continue to play an important role in a variety of critical situations, including:
- Gunshot detection
- Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR), which combines optical recognition technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to potentially capture hundreds of vehicles’ plates in minutes
- Dash and body cameras in and around the vehicle and officers to provide an additional layer of security and a visual record of events
- Drones, which quickly access sites from an additional vantage point to provide photos, videos, and location information to operators and crews on the ground.
Cellular for failover in substations
Whereas wired failover typically uses the same last-mile trenches and backhaul pathways, a Wireless WAN connection offers a diverse pathway through the air and allows policies to send traffic across a 5G or LTE link immediately. This automatic failover and WAN redundancy enable reliable uptime for networks where 24/7 connectivity is paramount.
Remote visibility into primary hardware failover
With a direct connection from the console port of the adapter to the primary router, administrators can connect to the router over the air, even if IP and Ethernet on the router are not functioning or available. This enables remote troubleshooting without rolling a truck or paying for slow, expensive POTS lines.
Manage and monitor connections from anywhere
Instead of relying on third-party visits or corporate travel for network fixes, lean IT teams can take advantage of Ericsson NetCloud Manager to activate, manage, and troubleshoot routers and adapters. These remote management capabilities are all available within a single interface, keeping connections online and staff to-do lists short.
Live streaming video footage during emergencies
In the dynamic landscape of video surveillance, high bandwidth and low latency are not just features — they are essentials. Wireless solutions for video surveillance should be robust enough to enable live streaming when necessary.
Ruggedization and small size of hardware
Designed to fit within the confined spaces of video camera enclosures and ruggedized pop-up network kits, compact IoT routers are ruggedized to withstand extreme environmental conditions. This ensures that IoT kits remain operational and resilient, even in the harshest settings.
Cellular and satellite in vehicles
With dual-modem routers, vehicles can connect to multiple cellular networks — including cellular and satellite — simultaneously, ensuring on-board applications can continuously send and receive critical data. This is especially valuable in extremely remote locations, where cellular might not always be the best option.
Comprehensive in-vehicle security for IoT
Ericsson Cradlepoint routers play nicely with other tech while keeping bad actors at bay. Each router is equipped with a built-in firewall and supports the easy setup of encrypted zero trust network tunnels to safeguard sensitive data.
