Emergency response full-3D tracking app tested by Charlotte PD

Charlotte PD recently tested a new emergency response app which runs on an Ipod and which tracks peoples location using WiFi and renders it in full 3-D. The Effective Emergency Response Communication (EERC) System uses complete 3D-mapped models of the campus that lets the “command center” keep track of all the officers via Wi-Fi to efficiently guide them through buildings. By using the iPod touch app, police can also cut down the response time for medical help by marking the location of injured people.

“It exceeded our expectations,” said Jeff Baker, UNC Charlotte Police Chief. “We want as many platforms as possible to assist seeing and sending messages without radios. It’s important to think of the future of safety.”Baker controlled Friday morning’s command center in a police RV outside Atkins Library. His computer was synced with app programs on each of the officers’ iPods.Officers can tap the screen to alert the command center of their location, and they can see a map of the paths they should take. They can also give the command center the locations of people who are injured or need help.The training exercise took on added significance as the country is still reeling from last week’s Aurora, Colo., shootings, which left least 12 dead and 58 wounded.“All of us were deeply saddened by the news,” said SWAT team member Eric Cox. “Being on a college campus, I keep in mind that history shows that these are settings for this type of thing, so I’d definitely say the department would benefit from this type of technology.

The full article can be found here…