The New Canaan Fire Department has announced the launch of a new digital system called ‘Community Connect,’ which allows residents to save personal information that may be vital for first responders during an emergency.
Community Connect is a website that allows residents to create personal accounts with information that could be needed in an emergency. Users can toggle between functions to personalize their experience to the information that is most important to them.
“Residents can input gate codes, alarm codes, information about pets, and any special needs that would get displayed on our response tablets during an emergency,” Bassett said during the May 13 meeting of the Fire Commission, held at the firehouse on Main Street.
First responders can use the information that residents add to the system, allowing them to better prepare for the emergency at hand.
For example, New Canaanites can input the location of a “meeting place” where all members of a household may congregate to escape an emergency.
“Another good aspect of the system is the ‘meeting place’ function which allows us to quickly make sure that everyone is accounted for and help coordinate where to deploy our first responders,” Bassett said.
The system is also adaptable and can easily accommodate changes, he added.
“The system does an annual reminder for residents to update their information on a regular basis,” Bassett said. “People move, which is a challenge we foresee, but annually updating the system will help us.”
Fire Commission Chair Jack Horner asked about implementing the system with Realtors in town so that it can accurately capture information from individuals who move.
Basset replied that integrating the system in many areas throughout town, such as with Realtors and businesses is part of the roll-out plan.
The system is password secured and only accessible by first responders, such that sensitive information such as codes for gates and alarms is protected, Bassett said.
The new system is now available to New Canaan residents, officials said.
What guarantees does the public have that the system is secure? Has anyone considered the ramifications to the public if this system is hacked and the data is sold to brokers on the dark web? We already have issues with cars being broken into and or stolen. Imagine if the system is hacked, and it’s months before the public is made aware. I appreciate the goodwill of our town’s leadership and first responders, but housing that type of information in some unknown application secured only with a userid and password is too sensitive for me.