Public Safety Technology—Protection for the Public Sector and First Responders

At the highest level, public safety involves protection of citizens from disasters, crimes, and other dangers or threats. In the U.S., this task falls to government agencies at federal, state, and local levels. Individuals involved with public safety responsibilities include emergency response teams, police officers, fire fighters, parole officers, and security agents, among others. Regardless of their primary role, all these individuals are involved in keeping communities and their citizens safe from harm. Whether you are a business looking to increase workplace safety or a first responder helping to keep communities safe, public safety technology can play a significant part in making your job easier and safer.

In the past, public safety organizations relied on a more manual approach to information and protection. With the advent of new technologies, however, their response times can be expedited while offering them, and the citizens they protect, better safety measures.

While protective technologies and their adjuncts are continually evolving, there are several choices available on the market currently that can help your organization meet or exceed safety requirements.

Front Line Public Safety Technology for Any Application

Public safety spans a large number of industries and organizations. From schools to hospitals to businesses and law enforcement, there are any number of applications for tech that offer protection or enhanced abilities.

Some of the simplest, yet most useful, public safety technology products can help expand protective networks and make the jobs of first responders and safety personnel easier, safer, and more effective.

Panasonic Toughbook Laptops

Public service officers often work in harsh and demanding environments, so any tech devices they use must be able to withstand hard usage and remain reliable. The Panasonic Toughbook is one such device.

These laptops are capable of delivering unsurpassed reliability in the harshest of environments. Meeting several military specifications, they are five times more reliable that the typical business laptop.

They have up to 28.5 hours of battery life and deliver 18 years of consistent docking compatibility to ensure they can travel wherever they are needed. A sunlight-viewable touchscreen brings accessibility into all situations for unparalleled performance.

Panasonic Arbitrator

For digital evidence collection and management, the Panasonic Arbitrator has an unbeatable track record. In today’s world, having an accurate record of live events is a requirement for first responders.

A complete mobile evidence capture and retrieval system, the Arbitrator provides multiple cameras—up to five—to track and record events occurring on and around a public safety officer or first responder vehicle for high quality video evidence.

The Arbitrator can integrate radar systems, share evidence with other authorities on their own devices, and capture audio through a body microphone for a more complete picture of events.

Finally, a G-force sensor automatically triggers recording in the event of an accident.

License Plate Recognition Technology

Automated license plate recognition technology is a valuable tool in helping law enforcement officers stay ahead of criminals. This technology uses specialized cameras, optical character readers, and lighting to identify license plates and compare them to a list of “plates of interest.”

By using this technology to scan vehicles around them constantly and automatically, officers can quickly identify plates that match with stolen vehicles, identify drivers with outstanding warrants, or recognize citizens potentially in distress.

The cameras are easily mounted on a patrol car bar light, bumper, or other fixed point to scan vehicles within their view.

Public Safety Equipment isn't Exclusive to Law Enforcement

There are tons of dangerous jobs to be done. While most people typically associate dash cams and ruggedized laptops with law enforcement and military applications, this technology can be used in many high-risk industries.

• Contractors, architects, and construction workers often have a need for computer equipment on dusty, dirty job sites around heavy machinery.
• Electricians and linemen responding to natural disasters will be safer with vehicle-mounted and even body-worn cameras.
• Equipping road crews with cameras and ruggedized laptops can improve safety and access to digital resources from the middle of a project site.
• Security guards may encounter many of the same hazards as law enforcement, often without the ability to carry a firearm or rely on backup.
• Over the road shipping companies can save lives and money by outfitting rigs with cameras and fleet tracking equipment to limit liability in the case of an incident.

CDS Can Bring the Security of Managed IT to Any Workplace

At CDS, we are on the cutting edge of public safety technologies, continually adding state-of-the-art equipment to our offerings as they are tried, tested, and available. Our current public safety offerings include all of the above technologies, along with accessories like docking stations and mobile printers to further increase response times and safety.

We have assembled a team of experts in public safety who can assess your current environment and integrations alongside your needs and goals. From there, we will develop recommendations of technologies that will most effectively serve your needs.

When you partner with CDS, our team remains at hand to ensure all fleets are synced up and operable at all times. Take advantage of the latest technologies to protect your first responder or safety-oriented workforce. Contact a CDS representative now and find out which public safety technology is most useful for your application.