OPTIMIZED SYSTEMS

Baltimore Grand Prix a Success, Thanks to PSIM Implementation

Frank J. Ohlhorst | Date: 10-26-11 | Comments

Baltimore turns to a public safety management system to help create an integrated command post, which leveraged existing technology and bundled it together under a single management umbrella.

The results are in, the first annual Baltimore Grand Prix was a success � however, that success stems from Baltimore�s adoption of the latest public safety technologies to make sure the event went smoothly � and not so much the Indy cars racing about Baltimore�s downtown area.

Baltimore already had a significant investment in public safety technology prior to the Grand Prix. The city had deployed gunshot detection systems, numerous CCTV and IP cameras, as well as traffic monitoring and emergency response systems under the guise of Baltimore�s CityWatch agency.

However, the technology in place was wieldy, siloed and not shared across agencies. That just would not do for the Grand Prix, which was projected to attract more than 100,000 people to downtown and have an estimated economic impact of $70 million, based on visitor spending on hotel nights, meals, tickets and other purchases, plus direct tax revenue to the city.

City planners turned to a PSIM (public safety information management) system to bring order to the chaos of such a large event. That order was preserved by creating an integrated command post, which leveraged existing technology and bundled it together under a single management umbrella � that meant some 20 state, local, federal and private agencies would have to come together to share information and create inter-agency cooperation.

Extensive planning, integration and management chores had to be accomplished before a unified public safety system could be deployed � one that combined camera feeds, traffic management, gunshot detection, other sensors and technologies into a single, cohesive platform � a daunting challenge to say the least.

Baltimore turned to Virginia-based VidSys, a PSIM solution vendor, which offers an Open PSIM Platform and multi-vendor video and situation management software under the brand names of VidShield and RiskShield respectively. The rollout of the VidSys solution proved to be a success, giving city agencies the ability to be proactive when dealing with public safety challenges and introducing efficiency into management and response.

The real interesting fact here is that Baltimore got to put the unified public safety management systems to the test before the main event � thanks to Hurricane Irene and an August earthquake, both relatively rare events for Baltimore. Those potential disasters proved the capabilities of the PSIM solution, before the race took place and provided such a positive experience that Baltimore is seeking to expand their PSIM footprint to create what the city planners are calling a �Safe and Secure Community.�

Baltimore�s story just goes to show how efficient planning and the appropriate technology can create a future-looking environment, which improves on what is already in place, while setting the stage for enhancement, more capabilities and growth � it will be projects such as Baltimore�s that will lead the nation into the world of smarter technology.

Frank Ohlhorst is an award-winning technology journalist, professional speaker and IT business consultant with more than 25 years of experience in the technology arena. He has written for several leading technology and business publications, and was also executive technology editor at eWEEK and director at CRN Test Center.