Over the last couple of weeks I was very privileged to have some of the software that I have worked on being used for the 57th Presidential Inauguration. It is probably my biggest career moment ever – so far !

My employer Global Emergency Resources LLC landed a contract to supply the first aid locations and command centers with their product – HC Standard.

Ex·cerpt from Global Emergency Resource’s website:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 2013 Presidential Inauguration brought landmark changes in emergency management and spectator safety. For the first time, inaugural personnel used a powerful situational awareness software suite to track medical emergencies; reunite lost family members; and provide real time information to event organizers. Emergency personnel from The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and the United States military integrated emergency data using HC Standard® – a patient tracking and critical asset software solution developed by Global Emergency Resources, LLC based in Augusta, Georgia.

HC Standard® allowed local, state and federal agencies, including the National Parks Service, US Secret Service, the Red Cross, and Homeland Security officials to have a common operating picture of major events during the Inauguration, including the Presidential Candlelight Reception; the Inaugural Parade; activities along the National Mall; the Commander in Chief Ball; the Inaugural Ball; and the Inaugural Prayer Service.

The DC Department of Health partnered with the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Service Systems (MIEMSS), the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS), and the Maryland Department of Human Resources (MD DHS) to provide patient care and tracking throughout the event. Each partner used its own installation of HC Standard® to enter patient data with Motorola MC65 handheld devices. The data was aggregated and shared in all systems so that EMTs, first responders, and command center leaders could see the full picture of Inaugural events as they occurred.

During the Inauguration, HC Standard® tracked every emergency or first aid case and plotted it in each of the three emergency operations centers used for the event tracking and management. Additionally, family members who were lost, and those who were looking for them, had their information uploaded to a multijurisdictional database so they could be more easily reunited. Even the 100+ horses that carried the mounted police were part of the HC Standard® operating picture.

“Interoperability was key,” says Stan Kuzia, CEO and founder of Global Emergency Resources. “The EMS and Healthcare partners in the National Capital Region (NCR) have worked diligently over the years to eliminate information silos and enhance communication. This Presidential Inauguration demonstrated their hard work is paying off”. The various civilian agencies in the NCR also worked closely with their military counterparts to share a combined picture of patients and missing persons being treated and handled during the entire event. HC Standard® helped to bridge the interoperability gaps on Inauguration Day as near real-time data was available to military responders just as fast as their civilian counterparts.

Original document can be found here: http://www.ger911.com/news-and-events/17-news/133-inauguration2013