Emergency situations are unpredictable, volatile, and fluid events that require a rapid and effective response. When municipalities are faced with these crises, how can our proprietary surveillance technology assist with maintaining public safety and supporting continuity of operations?
When emergency situations arise, continuity is important.
All municipalities are mandated to have Emergency Response Plans in place that are engaged when an emergency situation arises. An emergency situation is defined as “A situation or impeding situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise”.
These emergencies present themselves in various forms – weather conditions, health risks, or unsafe conditions due to a variety of external factors. They range from small, localized incidents to wide-area events that could result in casualties, loss of life, or damage to infrastructure. Emergency situations are volatile and fluid events that require security plans that assist with supporting business continuity and emergency planning – and we’ve developed supporting surveillance technology to ensure full coverage and connectivity in the event of an emergency.
Emergency Management & Civil Protection Act
Ontario Regulation 380/04 Standards requires ministries and municipalities to develop and implement an Emergency Management Program that consists of emergency plans, training programs, exercises, public education and infrastructure to support emergency response.
Continuity of Operations Plan
There are several protocols and plans that must be followed by municipal governments in the event of an emergency situation. A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is the effort within individual municipal agencies to ensure they can continue to perform their essential functions and duties during a wide range of emergencies – localized weather, long-term power outages, acts of terrorism, and law enforcement activities.
Municipal labour strikes and protests create a unique security challenge.
Strikes and protests create a volatile environment that needs to be monitored and controlled in the event of any on-site incidents. If an organization is dealing with a strike situation, there are some major considerations – preventing injury and property damage, preserving the integrity of work sites for when the strike concludes, as well as maintaining order and keeping the peace.
In August 2023, municipal workers at the City of Hamilton, Ontario prepared to go on strike to fight for their rights. Thankfully, a tentative deal was eventually reached, but not before there some very large gatherings and protests in front of City Hall. While order was maintained, the situation was fluid and unpredictable. (1)
In the nearby town of Oakville, ON, municipal workers have just agreed to a strike and have walked off the job. More than 285 workers are involved in the strike which could result in blocking access to municipal properties, impeding traffic, and preventing non-union workers to attend their jobs. (2)
In the city of Whitby, ON, municipal workers have been on strike for several weeks, with 300 full-time employees involved in the work stoppage. The picketing is scheduled to run most days from 8am-4pm, creating a large window of time where unpredictable events can occur (3). If an incident does occur, footage can be provided for court injunction evidence collection – timings of denied access, delivery holds ups, safety infractions, and behavioral analysis. The raw video surveillance footage collected is exemplary and impartial – it is not connected to witness recollections and provides a consistent timeline of events that is date and time-stamped. his video evidence can be sent expeditiously to an organization’s legal counsel to intervene within a very short amount of time – via our revolutionary video compression technology.
In each case, our revolutionary surveillance technology can be leveraged to prioritize public safety, minimize the likelihood of unrest or unwanted behavior, and capture evidence if an incident does occur at a strike or protest.
What technology can be leveraged for emergency situations?
Video Surveillance Units establish camera coverage
Our Video Surveillance Units come equipped with everything needed to monitor emergency situations. We leverage powerful camera technology to capture the events as they unfold on any particular site. Through a combination of stationary cameras that provide situational awareness with a fixed view, and our PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras that can be zoomed in on events in high-resolution, we’ve developed a package that is ready to assist with a variety of emergencies.
Cellular LTE Platform creates a fully wireless security grid
Our revolutionary and proprietary cellular LTE+ platform is often leveraged for proactive security, but its robust and fully wireless nature benefits municipalities in emergency situations – without the need for running Ethernet cables or existing Internet infrastructure.
Mobile Unit takes our robust surveillance technology anywhere
Our Mobile Unit is engineered for remote sites or when rapid deployment is required – providing a full 360 degree view. Our cameras are mounted on a sturdy, telescopic pole that extends up to 7 meters. Retractable outriggers stabilize the unit, minimizing motion on windy days. Featuring the same technology as our fixed Video Surveillance Units, it can be deployed to any area in an emergency situation. In the event of a large public gathering like a strike or protest, the Mobile Unit can rise high up above the crowd and gain a full view of everything that occurs.
Solar Unit harnesses the power of solar energy
Access to adequate power sources may be lost during an emergency situation. Our Solar Unit is ideal for sites with no existing power infrastructure or in times when grid power may be lost in an area, and includes all the features of our standard Video Surveillance Unit. While it harnesses the power of solar energy, it does so with low power consumption, a low carbon footprint, and is a fully modular solution that can adapt to the needs of any site or situation.
License Plate Reader & syncroPlates ensure vehicles have a purpose
Vehicle traffic may seem chaotic during an emergency response, and the ability to track and record their activity is key. Our License Plate Reader cameras track license plates and store the alphanumerical data within our database, syncroPlates. This technology offers high resolution images that can be reviewed at the click of a button – the system can send an alert f a vehicle is deemed suspicious or doesn’t belong on-site and has been ‘blacklisted’; site management and security teams can then prevent that vehicle from accessing the property.
Table Top Exercise (TTX) Assistance
Our professional team can also assist with Table Top Training Exercises, which are vital training to test response plans, identify gaps, and practice using the Incident Management System (IMS). Simulations are run to ensure members of the incident response team know their roles and responsibilities in the event of an emergency. We can also leverage our Live Remote Video Monitoring solutions to assist your response team with performance mandates – yearly or as requested.
When an emergency situation arises, it is imperative that plans and protocols be followed to the letter. Our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform and Video Security Units can assist municipalities and organizations with emergency response monitoring and crisis management – ensuring public safety and continuity of operations when it matters most.
Resources:
- “City of Hamilton reaches a tentative deal with workers on the verge of a strike”, Isaac Callan, Global News, August 19, 2023
- “Oakville community centres closed, services suspended as union strikes”, Phil Tsekouras, CP24.com, November 2, 2023
- “’We’re not going anywhere’: Striking Town of Whitby municipal workers start their third week on strike”, CUPE SCFP Ontario, October 30, 2023