The two companies selected for the pilot, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Motorola, will install and test their wireless capabilities in Lower Manhattan. After the six-month pilot, the city may select one of the vendors to implement the wireless system citywide.
The systems being considered are emerging, cutting-edge technologies that will put New York City at the forefront of the next wave of public safety communications and interoperability, said Mayor Bloomberg.
For New York’s fire department, the FDNY, it is hoped that the wireless network will integrate technologies currently under development, including wireless electronic command boards and firefighter tracking technology. Other city agencies will have access to the wireless network for field personnel dispatched throughout the city. These teams include maintenance workers, inspectors and other non-emergency field personnel.
Over the next six months, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Motorola will conduct a head-to-head demonstration of how their respective wireless systems meet the city’s requirements. The winning solution will be considered for a citywide implementation.
The cost of the pilot program will be $2.7 million. The estimated cost of implementing one of the programs is $500 million – the five-year cost of building and maintaining a citywide network. US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding may be available to contribute to the creation of a citywide wireless network.
