Environment Monitored By Mobile Data Collection Solution

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) needed to improve both emergency environmental monitoring and reporting for environmental incidents (e.g., bioterrorism, accidents, etc.) and day-to-day field inspections. The data collection technique in place required responders to collect readings using standard mobile environmental and radiological metering devices. The responders would then telephone the readings back to HQ upon completion of analysis or download information when back in the office. This method was both slow and potentially inaccurate, impeding the ability for analysts to make critical decisions related to public safety.

The First Responders solution deployed by DOHMH leverages a ruggedized Pocket PC device that supports wireless protocols (GPRS), Bluetooth connectivity, GPS and Barcode Scanning. With the First Responders solution, the readings from the environmental monitoring instruments and related data are captured into Global Bay's HazardPoint software and then wirelessly transmitted to a central HazardPoint server for 'real-time' analysis and mapping. Data Collection forms are designed and deployed through Global Bay's HazardPoint web console. The DOHMH can manage users, forms and data centrally from the HazardPoint console. Forms can be edited and pushed out to devices in a matter of minutes supporting flexibility to tailor forms to specific incidents.