2007 Campus Technology Innovators: Securing the Campus
TECHNOLOGY AREA: SECURING THE CAMPUS
Innovator: Drexel University
Drexel-affiliated researchers and entrepreneurs develop
a landmark mobile security communications platform,
and now campus communities everywhere can benefit
Not long ago, Bernard (Ben) Gollotti, senior associate VP/
Public Safety at Drexel University in Philadelphia, took on a
critical challenge: to put into place a single platform that, via
the integration of security tools, would provide strategic and
operational advantages that could be utilized daily in the public
safety operation.
Fortunately, in 2003, Drakontas was
founded by a combination of entrepreneurs and researchers
affiliated with Drexel. Interestingly, the company's initial goal was
to develop prototype systems to test enabling technologies for
dismounted warfighters (infantry and others) to receive information
through wireless network access. The team created a
first-of-its-kind prototype system, which included a live MANET
(mobile, ad hoc network for security) consisting of dozens of
lightweight, resource-constrained mobile hosts (PDAs, tablet
PCs, and laptops). Then, in 2004, the management team looked
to police, fire, and private security officials to help determine
which portions of the research and software capabilities would
be of most interest and use. The core capabilities they identified
became the basis for the DragonForce system, and Drakontas
launched the security product in early 2005. Today,
the company delivers communications software
and integrated solutions for law enforcement,
emergency response, and security operations.
According to Jim Sim, company CEO, Dragon-
Force provides situation awareness tools that
allow teams to orient and communicate in a
secure shared environment. The missioncentric
design of the system has produced
software that is secure and flexible, and runs
on multiple networks plus a variety of hardware
form factors.
At present, DragonForce is in use on the
Drexel campus, where, under the watchful eye
of Director of Special Projects Kurt Bittner, the
command center enables the use of text messaging
in everyday and tactical environments;
GPS and access point dispatching; the ability
to send JPEG files and images from CCTV
cameras; and the ability to transmit incident
reports electronically. With these tools, Drexel
officials and staffers now have a technological
advantage in response time, have dramatically
improved the identification of individuals, and
are able to maintain more efficient public safety
operations on campus.
Here's how it works: Officers are assigned user IDs and
passwords that they utilize to log on to the hardware device
(mobile or otherwise) they are issued during roll call. The logon
process provides name recognition of each unit and allows for
ease of identification of officers during interactions with the command
center. Additionally, it provides specific, individual logs of
textual communications between the dispatchers and officers.
At the start of a shift, to aid in recognition of persons of
interest, each officer receives JPEG images that are derived
from mug shots or CCTV images sent via the command center.
The devices also aid the staffers in public safety efficiency
by allowing for sector communications (and routine
procedures the officers are assigned during their shift) to be
communicated via text message. This reduces the amount of
radio traffic and also enables dispatchers to access timestamped
logs of the officers' activity during their shifts. What
does this mean to the campus? Students, staff, faculty, and
visitors are better protected; crime perpetrators or suspects
can be apprehended much more swiftly; activities and events
are better able to be tracked; and communication among officers
and dispatchers (and soon, with the community, as well)
is greatly improved and enhanced.
Because the DragonForce platform is so versatile,
say Drexel officials, it allows for the integration of other tools,
as well. Items currently in the process of being incorporated
are report writing, streaming video, alarm points, and text communications
from the Drexel community mobile phones (for
direct communication with the dispatchers, to assist in security
observations as well as to arrange for escorts,
and for alert notifications that route directly to the
nearest officer to provide the fastest response
time possible).
Bittner and his team point out that finding the
right hardware to use with the system is critical:
It must meet the needs of 24/7 operation in all
weather conditions. What's more, the appropriate
screen size, input capabilities, battery
life, wireless network requirements, and durability
must be carefully assessed, based on the
specifics of each campus. Of note: Drakontas
(in partnership with Atlantic County, NJ) has
been testing DragonForce technology for
police tactical deployment missions in environments
with limited or no communication infrastructure.
It is now possible for tactical teams
to build a secure wireless mesh network for
communications of mission-critical information.
That means that the deployment of a mobile
mesh network would allow Drexel University to
patrol areas not covered by university infrastructure,
and that would aid greatly in the
patrolling of a complex urban environment—
something of very real interest to urban campus
administrators nationwide.