2005-2006 Best Practices Award Winners

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
NYS Insurance Department
Mobile Command Center

More Work Space, Greater Communications, Less Cost

Photo of Insurance Department Accepting the AwardOn June 8, 2006, the New York State Department of Insurance took delivery of a 38 foot Mobile Command Center (MCC). The vehicle, equipped with the latest in computer and communications technology, including satellite, VoIP phone system, police and ham radio communications is designed to respond to and function during any crisis or emergency situation. This command center demonstrates the Department's commitment to serve the people of New York in the event of any emergency situation.

In order to respond effectively in today's environment, an agency must have the ability to quickly access information from the Internet, upload files from any workstation through a LAN, communicate with multiple agencies and have high-quality voice communications and broadband speed data transfer capability. Equally important, this system must be easy to use.

The New York State Insurance Department's Mobile Command Satellite Network is designed to provide reliable, high quality voice, data and video communication services. The Mobile Command Center allows the Department to enhance its mission by having a 'warm site' available. The MCC supports applications that are critical to the mission of the Insurance Department in serving the needs of the citizens of New York and in its regulatory responsibility to the insurance industry.

When deployed, the MCC is staffed with Insurance Department personnel from various bureaus, including experts in all aspects of communication technology.

On site the vehicle and staff will provide:

  • A place for Department personnel to assist those affected.
  • Live, up to the minute site status for our Department and other involved governmental agencies.
  • A coordination center for state and local authorities to interface with the Insurance Department and insurance industry representatives.
  • The ability for Department and industry representatives located at the Department's Insurance Emergency Operations Centers (IEOC) in NYC and/or Albany, to monitor events at the disaster scene.
  • Assistance for consumers and insurance companies to process claims through the vehicle's phone and computer facilities.
  • The Department with another mechanism to accept, screen and approve temporary adjuster permits.
  • On scene credentialing of insurance industry representatives who are authorized to access the disaster area.

A primary non-emergency use of the vehicle will be in consumer and inter-governmental outreach programs. Additionally, the Command Center may be used in cooperation with law enforcement agencies and the insurance industry in the post-disaster investigation of insurance fraud.

Technical overview

The Satellite Network provides the Department with the conduit needed for the timely transmission of information between the Department's main office, remote sites and other agencies. The satellite network leverages the existing internet infrastructure and provides all communication links for the MCC including voice, data and IP video conferencing. The following are some of the services that this network will provide:

  • Live weather updates.
  • Sending/receiving faxes.
  • Sending/receiving video feed from governmental agencies.
  • Video and voice communication to the main office.
  • Streaming on-scene video to the Insurance Department's Emergency Operations Center.

The MCC integrates all currently utilized communications along with innovative techniques and equipment.

In its initial assignment in June, the MCC assisted victims of the disastrous flooding in the Southern Tier. The center proved to be an invaluable part of the process of assisting in the completion of online applications for disaster relief and its presence was appreciated by those who were served. The MCC was also used by personnel from several state agencies to check email, to make conference calls, to utilize the MCC conference room for conducting agency strategy meetings and to access a variety of internet services.

Contact:

Nikki Brate, CISSP
Manager of DP, Technical Services
NYS Department of Insurance
One Commerce Plaza
Suite 1715
Albany, NY 12257
(518) 408-3339
nbrate@ins.state.ny.us