On-Demand Webinar: Strategies to Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks in Today's Emergency Communications Center

• Why PSAP leadership is becoming more involved and taking on more responsibility when it comes to supporting public safety infrastructure
• The critical factors impacting network reliability and continuity of operations in the PSAP
• Common mistakes that are made in PSAP network management, and how they can be avoided
• Key strategies for reducing the risk of cyber attack

On-demand webinar length: 45 minutes 

911 Operations: How Next Generation 911 and FirstNet Will Impact PSAPs

In Summary:

• Together, Next Generation 911 and the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network will enhance the role of PSAPs exponentially.

• While exciting, this also creates uncertainty as these new networks collectively will unlease a torrent of information and data that must be processed.

• PSAPs will need to undergo profound operational and policy changes.

MCP Lends Expertise to Implement and Manage Automatic License Plate Reader System in Southeastern PA

Automatic License Plate Reader System Plays a Key Role in Criminal Investigations Across the Region, Making it a Safer Place

In Summary:

• The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPARTF)–which serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan region–received a UASI grant to implement an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system that would support public safety agencies throughout the region. They needed an expert partner to turn their ALPR vision into a reality and maximize their ALPR system investment.

• MCP acted as a program manager for the initiative and led deployment efforts for 130 ALPR tag-reading units throughout the region.

• More than 41 million tags are scanned annually, and numerous examples of how the PALPRN has played a role positively impacting key criminal investigations across the region.

Overview and Agency Challenge

In 2014, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPARTF)—which serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan region—received a UASI grant to implement an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system that would support public safety agencies throughout the region. These systems typically cost upwards of $16K to procure, and install, per vehicle. And, to make an automatic license plate reader system successful, a number of ancillary factors must be consider including

• implementing servers, and securing and maintaining massive amounts of data
• data integration and analysis from numerous hotlists
• training of first responders and 911 telecommunicators on how to leverage the technology.

SEPARTF knew that in order to take advantage of the enormous upside offered by an ALPR system, they needed an expert partner to turn their vision into their reality and maximize the return on their automatic license plate system investment.

Next Generation 911: A Mission-Critical Transformation for Today's 911 System

In Summary:

• Public safety communications is beginning to implement modern solutions to improve outcomes for 911 callers.

• Next gen 911 is a standards-based, all IP emergency communications infrastructure that enables voice and multimedia 911 communications.

• Failing to implement NG911 in a timely manner will increase costs, risk incompatibility with emerging communication trends and increase security risk for the 911 community. 

Today, access to 911 for most is limited to a voice call; in contrast, Next Gen 911 will enable the ability to transmit photos, videos and other existing and future forms of broadband-enabled data, in addition to voice, to 911 professionals. A coordinated approach must be adopted in the transition to Next Gen 911 to avoid a patchwork deployment and limited interoperability with neighboring agencies. 

Infographic: Next Generation 911 Technology Adoption Lifecycle

In 1962, Everett M. Rogers, an assistant professor of rural sociology at Ohio State University, published a theory he described as the "diffusion of innovations" in a book of the same name. Rogers, who later in his career became a distinguished professor emeritus in the communications and journalism department at the University of New Mexico, developed the theory to describe how innovation adoption plays out in any given social group. Rogers broke the theory down to five distinct categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

A Checklist for Securing Public Safety Answering Point Facilities, Personnel and Data

In Summary:

• Government facilities are being targeted by hackers, cyber criminals and active shooters, a trend that is increasing in frequency.

• Most security breaches are borne of comparatively benign circumstances, such a routine password changes or the use of personal devices in the workplace.

• Physical breaches of a public safety answering point (PSAP) can be equally as devastating.

Several alerts have been issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that government facilities are being targeted by hackers and cybercriminals, a trend that DHS expects will increase. This includes PSAPs, also known as 911 centers. Sometimes personnel click on a link found on a website or in an email and unwittingly unleash a computer virus or malicious code known as malware. Often the breaches come in the form of denial-of-service or ransomware attacks.