ChoicePoint® Helps Department of Homeland Security Validate First Responder Credentials
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Aug. 9 /- ChoicePoint (NYSE:CPS), through its iMapData service, played a key role in a recent multi-jurisdictional demonstration to test processes and operations at Emergency Operations Centers nationwide in the event of a terrorist attack or an "all hazards" event. The day-long effort, named Summer Breeze, was conducted at several locations around the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security Office of National Capital Region Coordination and the Department of Defense Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
ChoicePoint's iMapData delivered critical infrastructure data, interactive mapping tools and powerful reporting capabilities to provide DHS and other senior government officials with real-time situational awareness throughout the demonstration. Participants were able to quickly access critical information and to generate intuitive maps and reports to enhance decision making and information sharing.
"We were honored to be invited to participate in this crucial demonstration," said Larry DeFranco, iMapData vice president and general manager. "We are confident that our technology and information resources can help our nation's first responders more effectively and efficiently respond to critical incidents - be they natural disasters, terrorist attacks or technological emergencies."
The demonstration was specifically designed to validate the functionality of the First Responder Authentication Credential (FRAC), a high-tech standards-based identification credential developed in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. FRACs enable incident commanders to electronically verify the identity and professional attributes (skill sets) of emergency personnel in real-time responses to an incident.
During the exercise, officials used iMapData to: o Visually identify when and where participants entered and exited the demonstration o Access responders' contact information o Ascertain each responder's Emergency Support Function (ESF), such as law enforcement or search and rescue o Identify any special skills, such as Hazmat training, which assist in providing an effective response.
Armed with this information, officials could more quickly and effectively dispatch emergency personnel with the required skill sets. They could also grant first responders access to government buildings and secure areas immediately, instead of waiting for their out-of-area credentials to be confirmed.
ChoicePoint also played a critical role in Winter Storm, the predecessor to Summer Breeze. Held on February 15, 2007, Winter Storm involved more than 50 organizations in more than 20 locations across the United States. Future demonstrations are expected to show increased functionality and additional real use case scenarios of the FRAC.
For disaster planning and response, ChoicePoint provides situational awareness and an operating picture of the disaster scene. Emergency managers can quickly view critical facilities and infrastructure within an area of concern and access important details, such as the number of beds in a hospital or contact information for local schools. They can easily generate maps and reports to quickly share critical information internally and with federal, state and local responders.
For additional information about iMapData, go to www.imapdata.com.
About ChoicePoint
ChoicePoint (NYSE:CPS) provides businesses, government agencies and non- profit organizations with technology, software, information and marketing services to help manage economic and physical risks as well as identify business opportunities. Each year, we help more than 100 million people who are seeking to obtain jobs, fairly priced home and auto insurance, and who wish to rent apartments. Our authentication and anti-fraud tools improve efficiency and instill confidence in the decision-making process for our customers and consumers. Consumers have free access to the reports we create at www.ChoiceTrust.com. Learn what we do to protect consumer privacy by visiting www.PrivacyatChoicePoint.com and, for more information on our company, go to www.ChoicePoint.com.
FCMN Contact: chuck.jones@choicepoint.com
Source: ChoicePoint
CONTACT: Fiona McCaul, +1-770-752-3651, fiona.mccaul@choicepoint.com, of ChoicePoint
Company Information: Name: ChoicePoint Address: 1000 Alderman Dr City: Alpharetta State: GA ZIP: 30005 Country: USA Phone: 877-317-5000 http://www.choicepoint.com
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