INC NEWS - Durham's 911 Center Links to NCDOT Traffic Cameras

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy C. Blalock

Senior Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  November 16, 2007

 

Durham's 911 Center Now Links to NCDOT Traffic Cameras

Center Can Now View 200 Cameras on All Major Durham Roads

 

Durham, N.C. - Durham motorists in distress can now take comfort that
more than just good Samaritans passing by can send help thanks to a new
partnership that grants the City of Durham access to more than 200
cameras on all of Durham's major roadways.

 

The Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC), in cooperation with
the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the City's
Department of Public Works, now has a direct link to all of the NCDOT's
cameras in the Durham area.

 

According to James Soukup, director of the DECC, this new capability
allows 911 telecommunicators to monitor accident scenes first-hand.
"Whenever there is an incident near a traffic camera, we can switch to
that location and monitor what is occurring," Soukup said.  "The zoom
capability is outstanding.  We can read license plates and look inside
cars to see if someone appears to be in distress and send the
appropriate help accordingly." 

 

Now in the DECC, four, 40-inch monitors scan approximately 200 NCDOT
cameras on all major Durham roads.  "We have the ability to pan, tilt
and zoom in on each camera and monitor four different roads at any given
time," Soukup said.  "I want our motorists to know that our
telecommunicators can now directly monitor accidents that can be seen by
these cameras and send appropriate help.  In the past, we've had to rely
heavily on other motorists giving calm and accurate descriptions of an
accident situation and location.  Now, we'll be able to see many of
these incidents ourselves, which can speed up emergency responses
significantly."

 

According to Soukup, since the link to the NCDOT cameras was installed
in October, his operators have already been able to take action quicker
than in the past.  "Since having access to these cameras, we recently
witnessed an accident where a vehicle flipped off the roadway and were
able to dispatch emergency vehicles before anyone even contacted us,"
Soukup said.  "These cameras have also helped us determine the correct
jurisdiction for dispatching help for another accident that occurred
near the county line."

 

The NCDOT linked their camera network to the DECC at no cost to the
City.  For more information about the new camera monitoring system in
the DECC, contact Soukup at (919) 560-4191 or by e-mail at 
james.soukup at durhamnc.gov <mailto:james.soukup at durhamnc.gov> .

 

About Durham Emergency Communications Center 

The Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC) is dedicated to
providing Durham's citizens with the fastest and most efficient response
to emergency calls possible while insuring the safety of police, fire
and EMS personnel.  The DECC provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week 911
access to citizens and user agencies in and around Durham County.  To
learn more about DECC, visit the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/911/. 

 

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