Hunterdon County expands mapping initiative to schools, first responders and critical sites
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – Hunterdon County’s structure mapping program for public safety is now in place in nearly every school district, many critical sites, and is being made available to all first responder units, County Board of Commissioners Deputy Director John E. Lanza reported at a recent board meeting.
Lanza, the Board’s liaison for Public Safety, announced, “The cloud based digital system, known as GXP mapping, makes available a grid overlay of a structure or site’s floor plan for law enforcement and first responders. The system enables those responders to better direct resources to specific areas within defined areas, particularly school buildings, during critical incidents.
“The GXP software has proved invaluable in assisting in investigations and locating missing and lost persons and I am advised that nearly every school district is now a participating in the program; providing the mapping information that is so vital during emergency response, Lanza said.
The program, which began as a joint pilot project between the board and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office in 2018, was expanded in subsequent years, as federal Homeland Security funding was secured to support the project, Lanza said.
“The mapping platform, a significant resource that is available to emergency responders via cell phones, tablets, and laptops, can help to quickly identify the whereabouts in a structure of individuals in need, danger, or who may be a threat,” Lanza said.
“Law enforcement has had access to this program since it was first initiated, and now, the County’s Public Safety Department and Prosecutor’s Office has engaged the contractor, the Critical Response Group, to begin accessing the centralized mapping platform and management system for use by Hunterdon County Fire Departments and Rescue Squads. Expanding the accessibility of the digital mapping program to additional first responders is a significant achievement in protecting the safety of our school children and all residents,” Lanza said.
