Law enforcement and fire departments around the country are leveraging new technologies to better inform personnel, increase situational awareness, respond to emergencies, and protect citizens. Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) is becoming a reality for many local municipalities as they incorporate modern digital devices within their daily routines. TheInternet of Everything (IoE) is really changing the game across the board in public safety.

The Chicago Police Department(CPD), recognized nationally as a technology innovator, is a terrificexample. CPD's CLEAR (Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting) system is the largest transaction police database in the United States.CLEARplays a major role in analyzing the City of Chicago's Operation Virtual Shield (OVS) system, which has a network of over 25,000 cameras. The video surveillance system consists of fixed cameras, a private camera federation, and mobile assets such as video trailers, trucks, helicopters, and boats.

The Chicago PD also has 2,500 police vehicles that are equipped with state-of-the-art mobile data terminals that utilize a high speed wireless connection to access the police department's advanced applications including crime mapping, electronic dispatch of 911 calls for service, criminal history information, wanted persons and vehicles, critical facilities information on key infrastructure, global positioning, and real-time automated incident and suspicious activity reporting. This platform allows first responders to access critical situational awareness for improved officer safety and more efficient service delivery.

With the threats to public safety ever changing, we need to be smart, nimble, and creative. Essentially, communications are the foundation of everything we're doing. And moving in the same vein as CPD, we all need to look beyond what currently exists and enhance the communication pathways in our public safety systems. By embracing new technological trends, we will equip those who work in public safety professions with the tools and skills they need to do their jobs.

Check out Chicago PD's ongoing efforts to increase public safety in the recent9-1-1 Magazine article.

Learn more about the internet of everything in a new whitepaper on PoliceOne.com. The paper explores how IoE can help transform agencies to better protect citizens and make communities safer.

#CiscoPublicSafety Fridays are back! Follow the hashtag and @CiscoStateLocal and @CiscoGovt on Twitter for updates and events, and visit the Cisco Public Safety site for more information on solutions.