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38 SECURIT Y TECHNOLOGY E XECUTIVE • September/October 2017 • www. SecurityInfoWatch.com SECURED CITIES s concerns around public safety and security have risen over the years, cities and law enforcement are doing everything in their power to prepare for any situation that might come their way. Through the use of big data and analytics, along with smarter transportation man- agement systems and innovative public safety strategies, city governments can successfully host major events, deal with unpredictable natural disasters, and even reduce unnecessary citizen service disrup- tions - all by managing risk. A major portion of this risk manage- ment strategy is achieved through sharing the right data across multiple stakehold- ers and agencies. This task can seem quite daunting, especially when considering how much extensive cooperation and coordina- tion across many departments it requires. Special events often times attract very large crowds, and natural disasters present unpredictable outcomes that create logisti- cal, safety and transportation challenges on a massive scale. It is essential for cit- ies to find an intelligent software solution that works directly with special response groups to connect them with command center communications and real-time situational awareness, enabling increased collaboration and allowing authorized users to view and manage situations in real-time. Cities need to be able to share video and other important data with secu- rity teams around the city such as public safety agencies, the police and fire depart- ments, major venues, stadiums, hospitals and medical centers. Below are three key takeaways that city 3 Ways Cities Can Strengthen Their Public Safety Strategy By James Chong is occurring, or perhaps which way is the safest route to exit the building, or even receive response notifications from affect- ed personnel. Additionally, responders are able to provide real-time communication and the status of a present situation. This proves to be a game-changer when city agencies work together to secure major city events, as well as in emergencies such as a natural disaster. Mobile collaboration also helps law enforcement during active shooter events to determine the safest location for medics and first responders to enter the building to treat victims. In order to build an effective security platform, you must be able to collect and interpret metadata to pull the most useful and actionable data out of the noise. Based on customized rules and regula- tions, organizations can set parameters for what should be flagged as "high risk". The first warning sign is usually unusual or unexpected activity - whether physi- cally on your organization's campus or virtually on your IT system. By collecting data from disparate sensors, devices, and subsystems, data analytics tools are able to identify patterns that are unusual on any monitoring or sensor device and flag these as potential risks. Through integrating data analytics and correlation tools with video and sensor data, cities can analyze external threats as it pertains to their assets in order to more effectively mitigate risk. When implement- ed correctly, this technology can facilitate clear inter-agency communication, faster response times, and a stronger plan for city efficiency and safety. governments can apply to building their public safety strategy. Government agencies can easily become siloed - especially at the city level. When stakeholders and organizational leaders decide to integrate their technol- ogy and work together, this creates an effi- cient and powerful database that involves every aspect of the city's needs. Integrating multiple subsystems, sen- sors, and devices into a unified user inter- face create one common platform rather than numerous disparate applications, creating a faster process for decisions to be made. When operation centers have to contact multiple disparate sites for real- time updates, it increases the risk of mis- managed information and human error. With the help of a converged security platform, decision makers can respond to everyday events and more serious risks in a more efficient manner by reducing the amount of time and effort operators spend looking at multiple screens to gather, sort and analyze data. Mobility is crucial for a public safety strategy. Operational databases should also be browser-based so that they're avail- able anytime from anywhere for mobile users. This also allows multiple entities from various groups, with appropriate security credentials, to collaborate in real-time and share actionable informa- tion with incident responders. Innovative data correlation and man- agement dashboards allow city decision makers to manage situations in real-time. IT staff with authorized credentials can access the dashboard from anywhere on a mobile tablet or smart phone for enhanced situational awareness. Mobile phones are the quickest and most effective way to reach large groups of people, in three primary ways. For instance, organizations can use an emergency notification system to notify specific groups that an incident About the Author: James I. Chong ser ves as CEO of V idSys which he founded in 2005. Collaborative efforts among public safety agencies enhance their ability to mitigate risk, share analytical data and collect useful information from myriad video surveillance feeds. A