No one likes getting stuck in traffic, but a new Web site available through Harford County 911 Center may help avoid some of that frustration.

Harford’s Emergency Operations Division recently launched a Web site that provides information about public safety events that could affect traffic. The information is available as the events take place.

To visit the Web site go to http://pwc.harfordpublicsafety.org/publicwebcad/.

The site has been a long time coming, Ross Coates, public safety communications manager for Harford Emergency Operations, said.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, Harford and jurisdictions nationwide have been working on “interoperability” — the capability of exchanging information particularly between agencies.

Coates explained that during the Sept. 11 crisis, there was limited exchange of information among the variety of emergency responders because there were several communication systems in use.

“The police knew about it, but the fire department didn’t or EMS didn’t,” Coates said of certain information.

In 2002, the county signed a $17 million agreement with Motorola Inc. to purchase a communications system to unite each of the county’s police, fire and ambulance rescue agencies. Bel Air Police Department was the first agency to switch to the new system, which happened in 2004.

Coates said the radio system was the first step and the new Web site is primarily a continuation of improving interagency communication.

“This was all part of a larger project that we have been working on for many years, since the radio system, which is to implement data so everyone gets the same information every time,” Coates said.

The site began as a database tool for emergency personnel.

The wheels started to turn after requests from the Baltimore Urban Area Work Group, which is comprised of emergency responders, emergency management officials and several subgroups including EMS, hazardous materials, dispatch and communications professionals.

The group, with the assistance of individuals at Towson University, was developing a program geared toward emergency units traveling between jurisdictions.

“They would be able to find out if there was anything in their way that would impede traffic,” Coates said.

This concept led to the Web site’s development.

The Web site uses the Computer Aided Dispatch system, or CAD, that many agencies in the county use.

The agencies participating in the program are Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and 911 Center, which includes dispatch of fire and EMS calls.

Aberdeen Police Department is on a different system. As the CAD system expands, Aberdeen may switch to that system.

“It only seemed logical that we would provide citizens with that information as well,” Coates said.

The public Web site does not provide all CAD incidents, only active calls for emergency service that could affect travel across the county.

“In the public side, it allows them to view the date and time and what type of incident,” Coates said.

The site displays the type of incident, the location and the community in which the incident is taking place. Incidents like car accidents or house fires could be on the site.

The site does not keep a history of past calls.

“It’s basically a real-time, live, computerized database of emergency calls for service that are being handled within the county,” Coates said.

Confidential information, such as the name of who called in an emergency, is not provided on the public site.

Calls for domestic violence, fights in progress or related to health will not appear on the public site either.

“We do want to protect the privacy of the citizens, but give enough information so they feel in the know,” Coates said.

The public site is designed to keep community members aware of what may negatively affect their travel.

“A citizen in the community can’t really spy on their neighbor [by using the site],” Coates said.

Only active calls appear, so if the site is blank, that only means there are no calls impeding traffic at that time.

There is room for the site to grow, Coates said.

Options for expansion include a log of closed calls so residents could check why they heard a siren in their neighborhood.

“We need to see what the citizens really want from the system,” Coates said.

The database may eventually be incorporated in a statewide Emergency Management Mapping Application system.

“It’s a Web-based tool that’s used to support emergencies in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the National Capitol region,” Coates said of the larger program.

Coates said even the private aspect of the database is benefit the public. In the case of a major incident, everyone on the system knows about it.

“It’s all for the benefit of the citizens,” he said.

Coates posed a nightmare situation in which someone robs a convenience store and the terrified clerk calls 911, only to see a police car drive by because that agency didn’t know about the call.

“That’s what we’re trying to eliminate and we’ve done a very good job at it I think,” Coates said.

People looking for recent crime in Harford County area can visit http://www.crimereports.com/. The Web site, available through the Sheriff’s Office, is a crime mapping tool funded by grant money and available to the public.

user comments (1)

user joebagodonuts says...

Good job with the tracking system! Now, how about finally widening route 22 from I-95 to route 543. This is the worst area for traffic in the county. The area near HCCC is pathetic at best. Try driving in this area from 0700 - 0830, or from 1545 - 1745. Our elected officials need to STOP any new development on this road until improvements are made.

Posted 7:56 AM, 03.07.10

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