An Electronic Signage Network (ESN) provides the means for real-time environmental monitoring and information display that are critical elements of homeland security. With the growing commercial applications for electronic displays, Wi-Fi, narrowcasting, kiosks, satellite transmission and mobile-display devices, ESNs that comprise these elements are key to public safety and information infrastructure.
The public value of ESNs providing real-time environmental monitoring and immediate alerts to busy or rural areas indicates the value of defining policies and commercial practices that allow them to achieve public-safety goals.
Electronic Signage for Homeland Security
While the need for better methods of providing public-security information has grown, the electronic signage industry has strengthened its capabilities. Image quality upgrades have dramatically improved the value and impact of electronic displays, and fueled the installation of signage and kiosk networks across the U.S. ESNs offer a platform for environmental monitoring and public information display. While some systems can be used for both commercial and public-security purposes, their functionality suggests that they can be a critical component in meeting homeland-security requirements.
While information and communications technology has provided greater productivity, extended medical and scientific capacities and improved quality of life, they also present solutions for public-safety monitoring and display. ESNs integrate digital storage, communications and display technologies via a new class of software called dynamic image provisioning applications (DIPA). The system responds to a new and needed service to people -- that is, safety through environmental monitoring and information display.
Public Safety is Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declares that it’s “committed to using cutting-edge technologies and scientific talent in our quest to make America safer.” DHS's Science and Technology directorate researches and organizes the scientific, engineering and technological resources of the United States, and leverages these resources into technological tools to help protect the country. Universities, the private sector, and the federal laboratories are partners in this endeavor.
In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security assumes ensures that emergency-response teams are prepared for any situation. This entails providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift, effective recovery effort.
The Department also addresses citizen readiness. Educating American families about how to prepare their homes for a disaster and tips for citizens on how to respond in a crisis are priorities to the DHS.
Fiscal year 2003’s funding of $165 million to state and locals authorities for hazard preparation represented a 40% increase over 2002. Michael D. Brown, Undersecretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response said, “These grants are further evidence of this administration's commitment to state and local governments for all hazards emergency preparedness efforts.”
Shifting from property to people protection
The threat of environmental hazards transmitted via airborne substances represents a significant threat to public safety and health. Whether caused by terrorist actions or smoke from fires, the need to identify the threat and rapidly provide directions to those who could be directly affected is a matter of both public and commercial concern. This increasing emphasis on protection calls for better environmental monitoring and public-information displays.
These needs apply to busy public locations, such as transit systems, sports arenas, government offices and airports train stations, as well as commercial locations such as stores, malls and theatres, casinos.
But the needs also apply to remote, rural areas. Whereas radio offers limited reach for providing public-alert information, roadside ESNs can reach virtually all motorists with urgent messages.
Signage provides the location and technological opportunity for surveillance and monitoring. Electrical and communications connections that enable electronic signage can be used for various monitoring devices including cameras, motion or heat detectors, or biometric scanners. The signage itself can offer a housing for such monitoring devices as well as location-based (rather than centrally controlled) processing. Peoples’ inherent attraction to signage as an information source during a threatening situation adds value to such devices.
Accelerating public information displays
The need to provide information to the public in a civil-security threat introduces a policy questions related to the private ownership or private property placement of electronic signage that must be addressed.
Electronic signage, when situated at sidewalk or highway levels in such locations as train stations, subways, airports and malls, provides a growing public information display capability. The ability to send messages via displays makes them a powerful tool for public safety and education.
The policies and cooperation that enable emergency response organizations to provide public-safety information for electronic signage is an advancement that could borrow from radio and TV broadcast environments, and leverage narrowcasting capability.
DIPA-fueled electronic displays can become a vital element in homeland-security infrastructure. As such, measures that can accelerate technological capability, improved price-to-performance ratios and installation are warranted. Funding signage networks, removing regulations or adding new requirements that encourage the installation of electronic signage that address homeland security could spur the development of such systems.
Leveraging commercial infrastructure for location monitoring and information display has many advantages, including minimizing capital outlays, maximizing value for money and reducing public anxiety by delivering customized local information to high-traffic areas. Lyle Bunn is a Senior Partner of Apogee Partners, which addresses telecommunications, displays and nanotechnology. This article has been excerpted from an Apogee Partners white paper with their permission. Lyle can be reached at lylebunnap@hotmail.com.
