Firetide Inc., a developer of wireless mesh networks, and Safety Vision, a global provider of mobile digital video solutions, recently announced a strategic alliance to provide wireless surveillance and security applications for mass transit, law enforcement and student transportation sectors.
The companies say the partnership combines Safety Vision’s 15 years of experience in onboard surveillance with Firetide’s high-speed wireless mesh networks and delivers the industry’s first mobile-to-mobile video solution to be used for public transportation safety.
“The alliance between Firetide and Safety Vision provides an unprecedented mobile wireless surveillance solution that has widespread applications in the transportation sector, both public and commercial,” says Bo Larsson, chief executive officer of Los Gatos, Calif.-based Firetide. “Safety Vision has a proven and impressive track record deploying mobile video, and the addition of reliable wireless connectivity in a mobile environment provides Safety Vision’s customers with yet more lifesaving capabilities.”
The integrated wireless surveillance system is being implemented by the MBTA, the fifth-largest transit system in the United States, transporting 1.3 million passengers daily. The $1.4 million project, partially funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant, calls for installation of onboard surveillance systems on 155 new buses.
The combined Safety Vision and Firetide solution is designed to enable transmission of live video feeds to laptops in MBTA police officers’ networked vehicles, allowing first responders to view an onboard incident as it unfolds, in real time. Consequently, responders can plan and execute tactics faster and smarter, enhancing the safety and security of passengers, officers and transit personnel alike, according to the companies.
“Not only is Firetide a leader in wireless mesh technology, the company became a trusted business partner as Safety Vision’s strategy evolved to meet the changing demands of the mobile video surveillance market,” says Bruce Smith, president of Houston-based Safety Vision. “The Firetide-Safety Vision partnership enables revolutionary solutions for mobile-to-mobile as well as mobile-to-fixed video streaming, where it was previously impossible, unreliable or cost-prohibitive.”
Firetide provides the wireless video network portion of the project, operating in the 4.9 GHz spectrum, which is designated by the Federal Communications Commission for public safety and provides interference-free, secure connectivity for first responders. In addition to supplying onboard, mobile-rated cameras and video recorders, Safety Vision provides an intuitive video management application, which it says is easy to navigate, delivers smooth high-resolution live video and works seamlessly with the Firetide mesh network. The system is designed to increase operator safety, enhance public security, mitigate transit authorities’ risk and strengthen criminal prosecutors’ cases.
