Dispatching first responders is already easier with the new footage, says Bill Knost, master police officer with the traffic division of the Fairfax Police Department. When an accident is reported on the freeway, for instance, emergency vehicles no longer have to be sent out in both directions. Dispatchers can now see more clearly and immediately whether an approach is blocked from one side or the other.
The system, which has been in operation for about six months, got a boost this fall when camera footage from Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., was added into the mix. Given the homeland security concerns of the region, officials feel that having all three systems working together will enhance their ability to protect the area more efficiently. "If there was an evacuation of D.C. and your emergency management people can't see across the Potomac River, that's not very helpful, is it?" says Kevin Barron, program manager for VDOT's intelligent transportation systems.
A federal grant is covering part of the three-year, $800,000 contract VDOT has with a private company, TrafficLand, to set up and operate the system. VDOT hopes to cover the rest of the cost by selling "subscriptions" to the high-speed footage to public agencies and private businesses, such as Federal Express, UPS and taxicab companies.
