APTS Spreads Word on Datacasting to First Responders
Using public TV spectrum to datacast important information to first responders will allow navigation of increasingly complex emergency situations for agencies that have become more dependent on connected devices, datacasting advocates said during a public safety webinar. Such backers said the fact they were invited to speak about it at the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) event is a step toward getting wider traction for the technology.
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Datacasting lets public safety officials easily send video and other information back to command centers, allowing a more precise response, said Jeff Cook, a Houston Fire Department chief. Public safety command centers often have to rely on verbal descriptions of a situation delivered over radio, which can cause confusion, he said. Datacasting lets firefighters send video of all sides of a burning building back to commanders, he said. Since the data can be specifically targeted, it also allows police to have secure communications in emergencies, Cook said.
Being invited to address NPSTC helps America’s Public Television Stations get information about datacasting “deep into the public safety community,” said APTS CEO Patrick Butler in an interview. APTS has a strategic partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and public safety datacasting has been implemented in localities including Houston and Las Vegas, and by state governments in California and Tennessee. Butler believes it will spread farther in coming years.
“This is kind of a patchwork quilt,” said Butler. Since public TV stations cover 97 percent of the country, the system could help public safety even in remote areas, Butler said. His hope is that the NPSTC webinar’s audience will push for datacasting in their localities, he said.
APTS trustee Craig Fugate said police, firefighters and other emergency officials expect to have access to the better information provided through internet connectivity. He's an ex-Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator. FirstNet also gives first responders advanced capabilities.
Since datacasting uses broadcasting spectrum, it's not constrained by data capacity, said John Contestabile, program manager-emergency response at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Datacasting is an “enhancement” to FirstNet, he said.