I listened to yesterday’s webinar that looked at the tremendous strides Ft. Wayne, Ind., has made in improving economic development, public safety, health care and education through a comprehensive program to provide high-speed broadband to a metropolitan area of 250,000 people. It was a fascinating look at how one city is successfully using broadband to leverage existing resources to improve city operations.
Former Mayor Graham Richard explained how, when taking office in 2000, he formed a team dedicated to incorporating technology into the community’s public safety programs. Early on, Graham recalled, the mandate for broadband was clear. “What can we do with technology to make sure that we’re using every available hour of every police officer in a particular and in an effective way?” he said.
Richard, joined by Brent Johnson, director of the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana, said the city aimed for a more mobile police force that “could get back to a strong community policing model.” In a few short years, this task force has created a highly mobile and efficient first responder community that is using high-speed broadband for crime fighting and advanced training. The centerpiece of this strategy is the Public Safety Academy of Northeast Indiana, a $27 million training facility designed to “radically improve the collaborative efforts of 5,000 first responders” in the Ft. Wayne area. The academy is placing a strong focus on broadband technology and on-line learning which will be made available to police, fire and EMS personnel throughout the region and the state using a new broadband network.
The Academy has also partnered with a wide range of local educational organizations to offer public safety related degree programs. These partnerships will help develop an educational infrastructure to meet challenges facing public safety and government officials.
Meanwhile, crime in the Ft. Wayne area has declined to the lowest level in 27 years—and last year alone, Ft. Wayne experienced a 5.5 percent decline.
Richard also touted the Firehouse College, a program that allows firefighters to connect with online educational resources while they are in-between response calls. By educating the firefighters and leveraging their time with training, the community is creating a better prepared and efficient group of first responders. Firehouse College ensures that not only do firefighters get the right training but—with broadband—they can remain in their station houses during training so they can readily respond to emergencies.
To watch an archived version of the webinar click here.
[Cross-posted at NextGenWeb.org]