TRENTON – They are known as “Collaborative Response Graphics” (CRG), the backbone of New Jersey’s efforts to create a common language to enable more efficient incident response and save lives.
According to a release, the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) has been a leading advocate for the statewide implementation of this battle-proven mapping technique that provides first responders with a tool to enable communication and navigation when responding to schools and other critical buildings.
Following NJSACOP’s steady advocacy for the CRG mapping, the State Police and the state Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness launched the “New Jersey State Mapping Initiative” to encourage school districts to join. Now, there are more public schools in New Jersey than any other state with these standardized maps on file, NJSACOP officials say.
“For the very first time, we have a common solution that allows state, county and local first responders to communicate and respond using the same common operating picture,” stated NJSACOP President Lou Bordi. “The capability is now supported in 20 of the 21 counties in the most densely-populated state. It is truly significant; New Jersey is unique across the nation.”
NJSACOP was the pioneer in advocating this mapping technique in 2017, with more than 2,000 buildings in New Jersey mapped and on file. By the end of 2021, it is anticipated that nearly 66% of the state’s public schools will be participating.
The technology was born from lessons learned by the country’s Special Operations forces for mission planning and communicating when operating in unfamiliar locations.
CRGs provide building schematics with site-specific labels on top of high-resolution imagery. These maps identify key features, such as room numbers, hallways, external doors, stairwells, key utility locations, parking areas, security cameras, defibrillators and other critical information.
The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, recognizing CRGs as a “protective measures best practice,” is partnering with the State Police to pursue a statewide mapping initiative, hoping all public schools in New Jersey implement what could be life-saving technology.
“As our communities continue to cumulatively spend millions of dollars to mitigate threats and prepare for the eventuality of an active shooter/critical incident,” Bordi stated. “New Jersey, under the leadership of the NJSACOP, has put forth a proven model for creating a universal operating picture that is not theoretical or experimental, but instead has been successfully used thousands of times in the most high-stress and challenging incidents in the world.”
