National Demonstration of Interoperable Emergency Communications

Intergraph Corporation (AL, USA) has announced its participation in a demonstration of interoperable emergency communications. On 29 March 2005, more than 80 state, local and federal organisations and more than 15 technology providers shared real-time information on multiple all-hazards emergency events by routing messages to the emergency response agencies using the Emergency Provider Access Directory (EPAD). Developed by COMCARE, a 100-organisation non-profit emergency response alliance, EPAD gives authorised agencies the ability to register to receive and distribute messages based on geography, incident or agency type for all kinds of emergency events. With Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems at 19 U.S. federal installations and more than 165 sites worldwide, Intergraph is the first company to provide CAD technology using EPAD in a data interoperability demonstration.

Incorporating commercial information technologies, networks and EPAD, the demonstration focused on interoperable data messaging and data standards developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The goal is to enable messaging between all entities involved in emergency response, employing the communications and information systems that agencies use on a daily basis. The demonstration showed these emergency messages flowing between Intergraph's CAD system, Web-based emergency management tools, GIS applications, NLETS - International Justice and Public Safety Information Sharing Network, a series of public warning programs and other systems.