Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation Accelerates CERA Software?s Development to Align and Improve First Responder Communications During Critical Life-Threatening Situations
Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation (?Levan Center?) announce the adoption of CERA (Critical Event Response Applications) by the Town of Davie. CERA?s first-of-its-kind technology was developed by a team of experts in law enforcement, public safety, technology, and education policy to meet the personal safety and security needs of today’s increasingly unpredictable world. The system?s advanced features help emergency responders from all agencies (police, fire, search and rescue, EMS, etc.) to seamlessly communicate to contain an emergency scene, neutralize threats, and treat and evacuate the injured more rapidly.
CERA founder, Ed McGovern, is a retired 22-Year Law Enforcement Major & Tactical Commander who witnessed first-hand the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 and has since devoted his time to helping empower critical response teams by improving emergency response communications.
His experience shaped the development of features geared specifically towards providing first responders with the location of the incident, location of the suspects and location of those injured to ensure the most rapid and effective response.
?Technology has revolutionized the world we live in – there is an App for almost everything. But the emergency response process has continued to struggle due to antiquated communication systems that slow information sharing between emergency responders during an event,? said Edward McGovern, Founder and CEO of CERA.
“Thanks to our work with the Levan Center, we have been able to customize CERA to be nimble and adapt to the modern safety and security needs of a given situation, and garner respect within the tech community.”
CERA System
As a member of the Levan Center since October of 2021, CERA has benefited from the wide array of advanced technology available to members that the Levan Center offers including Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality capabilities, in addition to the ever-growing network of stakeholders with an immense interest and passion for public well-being.
The 1st Generation of the CERA System went live in December 2021, only two months after CERA moved into the Levan Center. Since then, CERA successfully tested their product during Active School Shooter Scenarios at a client school, Masters Academy, and successfully merged their entire platform onto Microsoft Azure Government, which is Military-Grade Encryption Cloud Technology designed for US government agencies (and their partners) that meets government security and compliance requirements. While CERA has been months in the making, their move into the Levan Center has propelled the idea of CERA into a reality.
?CERA has been a wonderful addition to the Levan Center, and we?re so proud to support Ed and his team with the initial roll out of CERA right here in our hometown, the Town of Davie, and soon to be cities across the nation,? said John Wensveen, Ph.D., NSU?s Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the Levan Center.
?With the growing need for improved emergency response, I am beyond excited that the Levan Center has been able to assist in bringing CERA into action and we look forward to seeing how it grows in the coming years and how it begins to save lives.?
The Levan Center?s goal is to develop, nurture and attract innovation and talent that will propel the South Florida Region (Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties) into the foremost hub in the country?s global tech and innovation ecosystem ? and CERA helps to do just that.
As a gateway and connector between entrepreneurs, leading companies, students, and potential investors in the region, the Levan Center has provided CERA with the access to other early-stage and young-startup companies, corporate partners, mentoring opportunities, a technology-focused makerspace, a showcase and pitch area, technology and innovation skills classes, and more.
With the Levan Center now being their official Headquarters, CERA has partnered with the Levan Center for the long-term. The Levan Center team will continue to support CERA as it rolls out it?s up-to-the-minute technology in cities nationwide, in addition to supporting the ongoing development of its product, making emergency response communication more seamless and more effective throughout the county.
?Whether it’s investors, potential clients, or tech communities, the Levan Center supported and assisted in driving CERA into the tech space needed to maximize its upcoming adoption and acceleration,? added McGovern.
?Moving our headquarters to the Levan Center, propelled us into legitimacy. CERA is now a member of South Florida Tech Hub and the Society for Information Management (SIM). We have also been introduced to potential clients from Florida and around the country.?
The CERA system is composed of four parts:
- CERA Mobile: For Teachers, Students, Police, Fire, EMS CERA Mobile helps teachers and students report locations and details of suspects and injured persons and submits updates in real-time. For police and Emergency Source: ceraapp.com