Editors Note

Engaging a Rapid Response

There is more than one reason why emergency vehicles have lights and sirens. Several years ago, there was a campaign by the Ohio state fire marshal which was, “Move right for lights and sirens.” This makes a lot of sense, allowing emergency response to get where they need to be with minimum interference.

Today, there is much more involved than lights and sirens. Back then, there was no such thing as cloud storage. Today, cloud applications are meaningful and necessary for government applications.

Our cover story in this issue is from Nicholas Maier or RedSky, and he talks about the necessity of finding ways to improve response times. Taking a step back, the government created the 911 system. That was back in 1968. Today, a new standard is part of emergency response, and it resides in the cloud.

The cloud is key because there is text 911, video streaming of 911 events, dynamic geo-spatial routing of 911 calls, all of which require a new architecture. The call routing will be routed by cloud-based applications, which is important because when a caller rings up 911, a database will capture the location of the caller, and it will appear on the emergency dispatcher’s screen. This is a great story that will help explain real-time emergency response.

Our Lindsay Page spent some time with ASSA ABLOY’s Jeff Huggins to better understand and provide information on how to grow your business. Doing business with the government can be challenging, but never fear, there are experts who have done this successfully for years.

Huggins, who was interviewed for this story, will walk you, the reader, through the GSA letter of supply, and how it will benefit you if you want to be a government supplier. Huggins and his team of two others staff members are relatively new to the ASSA ABLOY group, but clearly understand numerous solutions that apply to the government, and will benefit the manufacturer.

Also important to government security is city security, and how the Hartford, Conn., Police Department (HPD) established its Real-time Crime Center and Data Intelligence Center. As seen all too often lately, keeping a handle on crime and criminal activities in the city is a difficult task. How did they pay for it? HPD used various grants and other available monies, all of which you can help an end-user find and secure.

This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

  • Report: Cyber Attackers Continue to Turn to AI-Based Tools to Avoid Detection

    Comcast Business recently released its 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of 34.6 billion cybersecurity events detected between June 1,2024 and May 31, 2025. Now in its third year, the report offers business leaders a unique perspective into the evolving threat landscape and provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and align cybersecurity with business risk. Read Now

  • Axis Communications Creates AI-powered Video Surveillance Orchestra

    What if cameras could not only see the world, but interpret it—and respond like orchestra musicians reading sheet music: instantly, precisely, and in perfect harmony? That’s what global network technology leader Axis Communications set to find out. Read Now

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.