SpectraRep® LLC, an advanced solutions provider for emergency communications, announced that its IncidentOne datacasting technology was used during Baltimore’s recent Sailabration event to control and deliver secure video, files and priority messages instantly to officers in the field and six disparate public safety command units, including vessels on the water. IncidentOne, a state-of-the-art, wireless emergency communications solution, used public broadcasting spectrum from Maryland Public Television to securely deliver this public safety data directly to emergency responders quickly, securely, reliably and without relying on Internet and cell phone spectrum used by the public.

“Sailabration was an elaborate event that had numerous operational challenges due to the extremely large number of people in attendance and the vast area of celebration throughout the city and waterways,” said, Lieutenant Samuel Hood, Director of Law Enforcement Operations, Baltimore Police. “SpectraRep’s technology gave Baltimore’s Unified Command the ability to efficiently control all the law enforcement units involved and provide them with reliable data connectivity so everyone was working together at all times. The technology increased our situational awareness and allowed our officials to identify potential threats and disseminate emergency response information quickly. It definitely increased our ability to respond and protect lives.”

Over two hundred thousand people attended Sailabration June 13-19 in Baltimore. The event consisted of 20 tall ships from around the world, 20 U.S. Navy gray hulls including the U.S.S. Fort McHenry and 5 U.S. Coast Guard cutters. Event activities spanned over 6.5 miles of navigational water from the Francis Scott Key Bridge to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Six command units were in place to secure the event, including Maryland Emergency Management Administration (MEMA) Command; U.S. Navy Reserve Command; Martin’s Airport (Blue Angels) Command; U.S. Coast Guard Command; United States Park Police U.S.P.P. Mobile Command Fort McHenry; Unified Command 1st Mariner Tower consisting of federal, state, and local agencies.

Utilizing Maryland Public Television’s state-wide network of television transmitters, Baltimore PD and USPP law enforcement officers were able to transmit live video from fifteen cameras. Large amounts of emergency information such as evacuation routes, crisis plans, and other data were also available for transport as needed to officers in the field and fixed operations centers run by the Navy, Coast guard, Maryland Emergency Management and more. Secure text messaging was also utilized during the event over the MPT signal. MPT utilizes six full-power transmitters to cover the entire state.

“Our mission is to work with public television stations to deliver reliable, interoperable, targetable and secure communications, including data-heavy content such as streaming video, to first responders when and wherever they need it, utilizing existing infrastructure. We successfully accomplished this for Sailabration and we are proud to support law enforcement, first responders and emergency managers by helping them bridge the communications gap in a cost-effective manner. We work in conjunction with existing two-way communication systems and strongly support efforts to give public safety officials the dedicated networks they need to communicate effectively,” said Mark O’Brien, Vice President of SpectraRep.

O’Brien stressed that public television spectrum is available everywhere and already covers 97 percent of the US population. Please contact Mr. O’Brien for information on using this resource in your market.

SpectraRep recently received an Honorable Mention for the 2012 IJIS Institute Innovation Award, which recognizes technical innovation that has contributed significantly to the advancement of integration and interoperability in a justice, public safety, or homeland security project or program. SpectraRep has also received an IACP-iXP Excellence in Technology Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).