A project, funded by a US$6 million grant from the US Department of Homeland Security, helps dispatchers in Chicago (IL, USA) relay critical information to first responders during emergencies. So far, 20 private companies are taking part in the program, and an additional 17 are expected to join soon.

Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago recently announced that the city has completed an upgrade project to its 911 (emergency call) system. An Operation Virtual Shield (OVS) camera network has been integrated into each Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) workstation. "We can now immediately take a look at the crime scene if the 911-caller is in a location within 150 feet of one of our surveillance cameras, even before the first responders arrive," said Ray Orozco, executive director of the Chicago office of emergency management and communications.

The new system is also connected to cameras at tourist attractions, office buildings, university campuses, and other sites. There are some objections claiming invasion of privacy, however, according to Albert Alschuler, law professor at Northwestern University (Evanston/Chicago, IL, USA) and others, the updated 911 system does not violate privacy rights because they are installed in public locations.

"Chicago is the first big city in the nation to have integrated its camera network into 911 operations, and it greatly enhances not only our homeland security strategy, but also our ability to fight crime," Mayor Daley said.

Related Links:
City of Chicago
Northwestern University