VIRTURAL SECURITY

Jun 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By CAREY ADAMS

A recent report by a task force assigned to review the tragedy at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., suggests that law enforcement should have entered the school more quickly to help prevent the killing of 15 students and faculty.

Could the killings have been prevented? No one knows, but a report says the officers reacted at a slower pace because they did not know the best route to the library and other areas where some of the shooting occurred.

To provide such information in the future, Interactive Tactical Group (ITG), a Boston-based technological solutions company, has developed a digital imaging system to create virtual maps of facilities such as schools.

The system, known as the Virtual Floor Plan, maps out the interior of a building, showing every aspect of the floor plan, from water fountains in the hallways to vending machines in break areas.

“It shows every nook and cranny in the building. It is a great tool for officers to use to get familiar with a building,” says Matthew Maglio, student resource officer (SRO) of Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School in Wakefield, Mass.

Virtual Floor Plans are 360-degree images of building interiors photographed using sophisticated digital technology. The panoramas are linked together using software that provides an interface, allowing the user to view the facility from all sides. The user can also view the facility room to room.

According to Maglio, who is also a Wakefield police officer, the Virtual Floor Plan has been a great asset in securing the 250,000-square-foot, 1,100-student vocational school.

“We have used the system for a K-9 walk-through and search. The 3-D photos allow the officers to know where each door is located and what type of doors they are. It also shows them what is in each room and how to get to each room in the building,” says Maglio.

Although it is not considered a typical security system, the Virtual Floor Plan can work in conjunction with a CCTV system.

“Basically this system shows you what a camera cannot pick up,” says Tom Kennedy, vice president of the Center for Technology Commercialization in Westborough, Mass. “A CCTV camera doesn't always show you what is in and around the area. This system shows you every obstacle that might hinder reaching an area.”

Prior to implementing the Virtual Floor Plan, police officers responding to an incident at the vocational school had to rely on old blueprints of the layout of the school. But the schematics did not show renovations such as additional rooms or hallways.

According to Maglio, lack of information can put officers in an uneasy position.

“Anyone having to respond to an emergency, such as fire, medical, or safety, is placed in harm's way if they do not know what they are walking into. Rather than having to look for the library or other room in the school, the floor plan allows emergency crews to know what is the quickest way to get to the room and what is the safest and quickest way to leave the room,” says Maglio. “It is comforting to know what lies in front of you ahead of time.”

Currently, the imaging system software has been placed on 10 Wakefield police patrol car laptops and on six laptops within the school's administration. Virtual Floor Plans are stored on CD-ROMs or on secure servers for quick access, and the plans can be easily updated.

The Virtual Floor Plan is also an extra security blanket for the Northeast Metropolitan school, which limits its use of cameras to certain areas in the school. SROs and guards that walk throughout the school provide most of the security. Students are verified via ID cards they must carry at all times.

“We rely on the human officer to keep the flow of students moving,” says Maglio.

Kennedy says the Virtual Floor Plan could have been a useful tool to help officers secure Columbine.

Part of the criticism levied against law enforcement during the Columbine tragedy was that police did not go into the school immediately and search for the suspects. According to the Columbine Review Commission, the police instead set up a perimeter and waited for the assault to end.

“There were reports that students were calling from cell phones while the shootings were occurring. The technology could have been used to help officers find the location of the students in a faster manner,” says Kennedy.

The Virtual Floor Plan creates a video-like feeling of being in the facility. Users also have the advantage of navigating through the map at their own pace.

Maglio says the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, which represents 30 police departments in metropolitan Boston, hopes to expand the virtual system into all of the schools in the region. The law enforcement departments within the council share information, and officers routinely work together to solve crime problems in the area.

The agencies currently have developed a School Threat Assessment and Response System (STARS) designed to provide local officials access to specialized resources developed through the collaborative effort.

Maglio says officers now know what to expect when having to search the school or respond to an emergency. That knowledge is a comforting feeling.

“You can see that officers are more relaxed and confident when responding to an emergency. They know how to get around, and that makes a world of difference,” says Maglio.

FOR THE RECORD

ABOUT THE COMPANIES

For information, please circle the appropriate Reader Service number (listed below) on one of the Reader Service cards in the issue or visit infoLINK at www.securitysolutions.com.

Interactive Tactical Group

35

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carey Adams is associate editor of Access Control & Security Systems Integration.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

This month in Access Control

• Opening Up About Door Closers
• An Enterprise Approach
• The Framework For Open Systems
• On A Higher Plane
• More from April's issue