LTE  |  2021-03-16

New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to Deploy Mutualink Interoperable Communications Platform

Source: Mutualink
Curated by: Gert Jan Wolf - Editor-in Chief for The Critical Communications Review

In the six months since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the NY Responds disaster response and recovery initiative, Mutualink has worked closely with the New York Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) to deploy the company’s interoperable communications platform statewide. With Mutualink’s advanced technology, emergency officials across New York are able to securely share information – including voice, video, text and data files – with local governments and state agencies in real time with one easy-to-use platform.

Results from NY Responds Phase One:

  • Mutualink was successfully implemented in Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in 48 counties, as well as 20 schools (and 11 corresponding law enforcement agencies) in Rockland and Oneida counties.
  • Active shooter drills in schools demonstrated that the time it takes for law enforcement to resolve an emergency incident is reduced by an average of 40% when using Mutualink’s technology.
  • Mutualink enabled multi-state collaboration during the January 2016 “Jonas” blizzard. The platform provided real-time information sharing among state and municipal agencies across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, as well as private critical infrastructure that was affected by the weather, including hospitals and shopping malls.
  • A first of its kind multi-state, cross-border counter-terrorism exercise was held in New York, involving several counties, federal agencies, and Canadian officials. All parties took full advantage of the Mutualink’s capabilities during the exercise.

What to Expect in Phase Two:

  • Further expand the rollout of Mutualink to include the remaining counties, as well as critical care facilities such as utilities, transit authorities, state agencies, and more.
  • Mutualink will work with partners to ensure seamless technology integration and to maximize utilization.

“Mutualink is 100% committed to the success of the NY Responds initiative, and we commend Governor Cuomo and the team at DHSES for recognizing the importance of communication and collaboration when it comes to public safety,” said Mark Hatten, CEO of Mutualink.