Public Safety launches security network

Penn's Division of Public Safety launched the Multi-agency Emergency Radio Network on Tuesday, making it easier for area security to coordinate when faced with the most serious of situations.

The system deals with emergency responses to critical situations that occur within the University City area through a radio network that connects all cooperating members of MERN.

The network is a collaboration of Drexel University security, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania security, Presbyterian Hospital security, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia security, University City District and Penn Police officers and the Department of Public Safety.

Five years ago, the project began with the creation of a University City Public Safety group that now meets on a monthly basis with Penn's Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, who serves as chairwoman.

"It incorporates all the security directors, heads of various police departments, the fire department and all the major hospitals," Rush said. "We wanted to find a way to communicate together via radio in the case of a critical incident as well as crime related issues on a daily basis."

Prior to last year's terrorist attacks, many of the agencies involved in the University City Public Safety group were reluctant to commit to a radio network because of the high cost.

After the attacks, the project was reinitiated, and with costs of both technology and equipment at less than half of their previous prices, many of the agencies that were reluctant at first agreed to participate in the emergency response system.

"We developed procedures and policies on how and when [the radio network] would be used, and then just recently as of the middle of October the system came online," said Penn Police Deputy Chief of Operations and MERN Project Director Mike Fink. "We had been testing it for the last couple of weeks, and Tuesday was the official kickoff date."

MERN will enable faster and more effective responses to critical situations within the University City District.

"What it's really doing is saving precious seconds during critical incidents," Penn Police Chief Tom Rambo said. "And really, time is everything in these situations."

The launch of the radio network has enticed other agencies to join, including Amtrak and Septa police.

The emergency system also benefits the involved agenicies by providing communication through the Penn Public Safety Division's direct connection with other city agencies that cover the University City District, such as the Philadelphia Police and Fire Departments.

"We're really hopeful that this initiative will help enhance critical incident emergency communications within the University City District," Fink said.

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