Security Technology Executive

NOV-DEC 2015

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18 SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE • November/December 2015 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com 2015 SECURITY INNOVATION AWARDS – PLATINUM WINNER While this was happening, KUHT continued to broadcast normally. The general public watching television had no idea that encrypted public safety data was also being transmitted at the same time. Simulated events included suspicious individu- als entering a dorm on the UofH campus and gang activities at NRG Stadium with suspects fleeing the scene of criminal activity. In both cases sub- jects were tracked as they moved about and fled the scene. Multiple cameras were used to follow the suspects. Concurrently, data related to the inci- dents including building blueprints, map coordi- nates and other relevant files were transmitted to all responding agencies. A cell phone was used to capture a close up photo of the suspects, which was emailed back to dispatch where it was then datacast to all participants. The simulated events demonstrated both the technical capabilities of datacasting (coverage, video quality, integration, ease of use) as well as its applicability for improving day-to-day public safety information sharing. Preparing for the event included installing equipment at KUHT, installing antennas, receivers and software at all of the par- ticipating locations, and training. All of this was accomplished in a matter of days. The coordinated event was deemed a success based on the following conclusions and findings: • All data transmitted over the datacast system – alerts, images, files and video streams – were successfully received by targeted recipients. Suc- cessful receipt was verified by members of the test team and/or the participating organizations. • Through the tests and comprehensive equip- ment checkout procedures, the system provided extensive coverage throughout the Houston metropolitan area. While not specifically tested, anecdotal evidence suggested that the KUHT datacast signal provided coverage in areas that do not have reliable cellular service. • Although the datacasting standards do not cur- rently support receipt of data while in a moving vehicle, participating organizations reported the presence of a strong signal in moving vehicles much of the time. A new broadcast television standard (ATSC 3.0) will address this issue and support full mobility and direct reception on cell phones and tablets, even while moving. • Law enforcement officers participating in the test reported that datacasting provided video (which is frequently not available at all outside of a command/dispatch center) and audio quality exceeding current capability. One officer referred to the ability of datacasting to support video streaming as potentially life-saving, and end-user participants made clear their desire to retain the system after completion of the exercise. • All participants commented positively regarding both the ease of installation and ease of use of the particular datacasting system implemented in Houston. Participants in the test were able to use the system effectively with minimal training, most of which was provided on the fly remotely. The datacasting capability will remain in place temporarily while all of the participating agen- cies continue to test and evaluate. The July demonstrations provided validation of the capability and utility of datacasting for pub- lic safety and law enforcement. JHU/APL expects to continue to collect data and perform additional analysis to better define the potential uses of this capability and how it fits within the broader public safety telecommunications architecture. Why is it innovative Public safety has tremendous challenges and unique requirements when it comes to keeping the public safe. As a result, communications typically involve expensive proprietary systems and radios. The proprietary nature of this infrastructure pres- ents two limitations. Proprietary systems, while delivering a seamless, reliable capability, can often be expensive and are not easily changed or inte- grated with other systems. T he d atacasting exercise was innovative because it combines best-of-breed capabilities from multiple technologies and various indus- tries to provide a solution to the growing problem of data distribution. There is no better partner than KUHT, Houston's public television station, to improve wireless video delivery in the Houston metropolitan area. They have been doing exactly that since 1953. Televi- sion stations like KUHT-TV are experts in video acquisition, video compression, ingesting content, building resilient transmission infrastructure, back- haul, managing towers and other issues that public safety deals with every day. A n o t h e r c h a l l e n g e w a s a d d re s s i n g t h e Houston Medical Center's vast array of facilities share in the datacasting project's collaborative success.

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