New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser announced on Nov. 25 the launch of an emergency communications vehicle designed to ensure uninterrupted connectivity to the city’s first responder agencies during major events and disaster situations.
The vehicle deployed on Nov. 27 at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, assisting with New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) interoperable communications and drone operations.
The NYC Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI)’s Public Safety and Emergency Management (PSEM) division converted a city-owned vehicle into the emergency communications vehicle, known as ECV-1. The converted vehicle is a mobile technology center and command post that can extend core network connectivity for agencies, vehicles, and systems from remote locations.
OTI said the vehicle refresh, including infrastructure and technology enhancements, cost approximately $1 million and was funded by city dollars and grants.
“New Yorkers can always count on our world-class First Responder Network to answer the call to keep our city safe,” Fraser said in a press release. “This state-of-the-art Emergency Communications Vehicle ensures that our first responders have uninterrupted access to the tech infrastructure and services they rely upon to support the public no matter what situation arises.”
Inside, ECV-1 provides workstations with access to multiple onboard and remote systems for up to eight first responders , and it offers space for eight additional responders under the vehicle’s canopy. Each workstation can reach dozens of public safety applications needed to establish a command post or provide connectivity during planned events or emergency incidents.
The 14-foot-tall vehicle’s roof carries adjustable wireless equipment supporting emergency communications, unmanned aerial systems, and “drone as first responder” operations. PSEM designed custom mounting plates for antennas and aerospace monitoring systems that extend several stories high, and the vehicle can tether to others to expand services citywide.
“Emergency response only works when every agency is working together, and in a city of 8.5 million people, that coordination can be the difference between getting help quickly and waiting too long,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol.
“Thanks to OTI’s state-of-the-art vehicle, we now have another critical asset to deliver on that responsibility,” Iscol said. “This vehicle will deploy alongside NYCEM at major events throughout the year, supporting citywide communications and enhanced with drone operations capabilities that give us eyes in the air when we need them.”
