CRGs Selected by New Jersey in a Statewide Mapping Initiative to Secure Schools and Critical Infrastructure

EWING, N.J., Nov.25, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On November 20, 2019 the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security announced the use of Collaborative Response Graphics® (CRGs®) as the foundation of the NJ Statewide Mapping Initiative designed to secure New Jersey's critical infrastructure.

In their public announcement the State Police stated, "This initiative makes New Jersey more secure by creating a common operating picture for first responders from multiple agencies during critical incidents through the use of Collaborative Response Graphics® (CRGs®)." They further added, "The use of CRGs will enhance New Jersey first responder response time and improve command and control efforts during multi-jurisdictional operations, special events, and school safety."

The value of CRGs was initially recognized and deployed by the Northern New Jersey Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) for their value to enhance situational awareness and to provide the critical information required to coordinate the efforts of a mutual aid emergency response.

Following the successful deployment of CRGs by the Northern Jersey UASI, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police recognized the importance of CRGs and advocated for their use by chiefs of police throughout NJ.

According to Mitchell C. Sklar, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, "Our association first recognized Collaborative Response Graphics (CRGs) as a best practice that would enhance response time and become the common operating picture in New Jersey and beyond." He added, "We are excited to see that vision validated and championed by the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security."

Over the course of the last three years the Critical Response Group, which is comprised of US military special operations veterans, public safety executives, and technical experts have worked diligently to create CRGs for Critical Infrastructure throughout the Country.

"Currently, thousands of our CRGs are deployed throughout New Jersey in schools, hospitals, and places of public gathering. Unlike any other public safety communication products on the market today, our Collaborative Response Graphics (CRGs) have been universally recognized as the fundamental and indispensable ingredient to critical communications," said Phil Coyne, President of Critical Response Group.

CRGs were adapted from a mapping technique used by U.S. special operations overseas to plan and communicate during counter-terrorism missions. They are standardized, site-specific and geo-rectified common operating pictures. They combine facility floor plans, high resolution imagery and a gridded overlay together into one map that include the accurate labeling of key features like room numbers or descriptions, hallways, external doors, stairwells, key utility locations, parking areas, and locations of security cameras.

They are purposefully developed in a manner that allows them to be ingested into any platform that displays or relies upon geospatially relevant maps or floor plans.

SOURCE Critical Response Group, Inc.