For Immediate Release Contact: David Lamensdorf 661-295-5500
January 4, 2005
On December 20th, 2004, 6 days after Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge dedicated it, Safe Environment Engineering took possession of the first Hazardous Materials Squad fully funded by the Department of Homeland Security. This squad is the culmination of the design efforts of the Los Angeles City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Division and the engineers at Safe Environment Engineering. The completed squad will be delivered to Station 70 in Los Angeles, California.
The Squad showcases state-of-the-art communication tools and equipment. It is representative of Los Angeles' dedication to resolving the problems associated with interoperability and the move towards a SAFECOM compliant system.
Safe Environment Engineering has designed and installed a networked computer system which integrates communications capabilities through an auto-deploy satellite system, cellular network, and local WiFi bubble. Additional capability includes a TV interface and a seamless operation for Internet, Email, Fax, Voice, and Video across any of the available networks.
This high tech squad is the first installed platform that provides the HazMat team's technical representatives and incident commanders the ability to view, report, instruct, research and disseminate real time sensor data wirelessly coming from multiple dissimilar commercially off the shelf (COTS) sensors. Incident data is displayed on two large touch screens located in the command center of the vehicle.
A proprietary middleware software program developed by Safe Environment Engineering enables the handheld sensors to communicate across a wireless backbone to the Technical Reference personnel. The Incident Command and Control System (ICCS) was designed and tested under a grant received from Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) and collaborative efforts working with the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition to providing interoperability among sensors; ICCS also provides interoperation of software. Data is seamlessly routed between Safe Environment's ICCS Critical*Path real-time display and logging software and other software tools such as Defense Group, Inc.'s CoBRA software and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.'s (ESRI) ArcView geographical information software (GIS).
The core operation of the ICCS system allows a responder to use real-time data from sensors, weather stations, locating and tracking systems, personnel heat stress monitoring systems, etc. The fused information provides an accurate and detailed view of the events unfolding within an incident allowing Incident Commanders the ability to make more informed tactical decisions.
Station 70's squad is capable of collecting incident information and either routing or sharing that information with other WiFi enabled computers (hand held or squad mounted).
Please see our website at www.safeenv.com and go to press releases to see photos of the work in progress.