4. Integration of information
The ability to incorporate information from multiple and nontraditional sources into incident command operations
CAPABILITY GAP 4: “THE ABILITY TO INCORPORATE INFORMATION FROM MULTIPLE AND NONTRADITIONAL SOURCES INTO INCIDENT COMMAND OPERATIONS”
There is a significant amount of data available to support incident command and response operations. Often responders are not able to access or use this data. Furthermore, when they are able to access the data, the amount can be overwhelming. During a public order incident (e.g., demonstration, riot), for example, responders would like to have real-time access to municipal and traffic cameras, closed-circuit television feeds from local businesses, social media posts, property ownership records, etc., that will allow them to conduct safer and more effective operations.
There are multiple technical difficulties in collecting and integrating data needed by responders. However, the benefits of increased situational awareness and improved responder safety highlight the importance of developing this capability.
TARGET OBJECTIVES AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
The target objectives for this gap are:
- Integrate data from public and private sources into incident command and response operations
- Incorporate and validate data
- Display data based on user-configurable preferences and settings
Potential solutions should:
- Access, integrate, transmit and display data identified by responders as necessary for incident response
- Provide a visual display of incident data in real time
- Access, integrate, transmit and display video and images in real time
- Access, integrate, transmit and display data from multiple data sources in real time
- Perform basic analysis using data from integrated sources
- Transmit threat and hazard data to authorized personnel (e.g., emergency managers, commanders, responders)
- Integrate with current emergency response software systems and applications
- Be easy to operate and maintain throughout the service life
- Be designed to minimize the price of systems and maintenance
CAPABILITY
Responders have stated that they would like access to public and private data sources. They would like this information seamlessly integrated into a common platform, allowing users to view selected data based on user preference. Validation of data sources is a priority to ensure responders are using accurate data.
