The city of Seattle has done some innovative things with technology. One of them was to use a wireless mesh network connecting cameras along their waterfront. But ... the project was not "socialized" with their elected officials. Now that network is being dismantled without ever being put into operation. See this article:
Seattle Dismantles Its Controversial Mesh Network.
In the same article they mention the two drones that were purchased by the Seattle Police Department — and given away, for the same reasons that the camera network is now disappearing. Los Angeles got the drones.
Let the above be a lesson for you. With new technologies, make sure you have policies in place and that the elected officials for your community are brought into the loop early on in the process.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
