PSIM: Ready for Takeoff

One of the first North American airports to deploy PSIM was the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). Spanning over 1,900 acres, with four concourses and two terminals, the airport serves some 8.5 million passengers each year and is the primary commercial airport for the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana.

Managed by communications manager John M. Lyon, the Aviation Communications Center, also known as AVCOM, is the coordination hub for safety and security at MSY. In 2011, the Center handled more than 20,000 incidents that required life safety or security personnel to be dispatched.

The airport employs a variety of security and life safety systems, including video surveillance, access control, fire alarms, CAD, Voice over IP (VoIP), and automated external defibrillator (AED) alarms. Through the use of the NICE Situator PSIM solution, the airport was able to integrate all of these systems into a COP, so dispatchers get all of the real time information they need, in a relevant context, on just two PSIM screens.

Comments Lyon “Before, we had silos of information, so different dispatchers would be responsible for monitoring video, access control, etc. If something happened, the dispatchers would need to verbally relay information to each other to put the pieces together, and that took time.

“Now the different pieces are automatically assembled through the PSIM so dispatchers instantly get the big picture,” he adds.

Dispatchers can also visualize geographically where incidents are happening and drill down into layers of rich information, including building plans and video.

Lyon says the PSIM solution helps dispatchers know how to respond as well. Prior to implementing the PSIM solution, dispatchers relied on ‘flat’ electronic forms. Now, when an incident occurs, the PSIM system guides them through a step-by-step response plan. In all, over 90 standard operating procedures are embedded in the PSIM system.

Additionally, the processes are interactive and adaptive. For example, in the case of a fuel spill, the specific response would depend on the magnitude, size, and type of spill. Escalation procedures can also be built in as a safeguard.

Not Just For Security

While PSIM evolved out of security, airports can also leverage it to enhance safety, operations, and overall ROI.

“We’ve already seen airports taking it to the next step — starting with security, and then broadening the scope to safety and even operations,” says Shabtai.

“If you think about all of the things that PSIM can do — connecting the dots between different systems, creating the common picture, providing a consistent way to manage incidents and documenting their resolution — then you can begin to envision other applications.

“For example, using PSIM to coordinate all of the complex processes and resources involved in managing an emergency landing, or to manage other operational scenarios involving gate closures or maintenance issues, which all contribute to the smooth operation of the airport.”

Case in point — say a water pipe bursts at the airport. As soon as the call comes into the operations center, the operator hits a quick launch button on a PSIM screen to open an incident. This in turn sets other procedures into motion.

The operator marks the location of the burst pipe on a map. The PSIM system automatically creates a work order as maintenance personnel are dispatched to the scene. Similarly, reports of other types of incidents, such as “slip and falls,” lost items, etc., can be tracked, reviewed, and documented in the system.

Finally, PSIM helps airports comply with regulations such as FAA Part 139 by giving them a mechanism to document and follow-up on safety hazards discovered during Part 139 field inspections.

PSIM ensures business continuity by providing complete situational awareness of the location and severity of incidents and operational issues, and by helping airport personnel respond quickly with contingency plans to minimize disruptions to operations.

Response plans for hurricanes and other weather events are also embedded in MSY’s PSIM system. Lyon says the PSIM solution would extend critical technology to the airport’s emergency operations center should airport managers and representatives from outside agencies need access to it.