Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/791958
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Public Safety Cary is considered one of the safest ci es in the na on, ranking in the top five mid-sized ci es with the lowest crime rates in the United States. To ensure that Cary remains one of the safest ci es in the na on, the Town of Cary Police Department provides exemplary policing. Also, the Town of Cary Fire Department provides an innova ve and efficient approach to emergency response, fire code applica on and public fire educa on. With the Town's growth and outward expansion, it becomes increasingly important for public safety providers to analyze the distribu on and concentra on of staff and facili es to provide adequate service. Cary is currently divided into three GeoPolicing districts to enable patrol and school resource officers to become experts on the needs, issues, and concerns of the ci zens within the areas they serve. The Fire Department currently operates out of nine geographically dispersed fire sta ons to serve Cary ci zens, with more sta ons being added as Cary grows. Cary Fire Sta on 8, on Mills Park Drive, implemented Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles. These include the use of high-efficiency equipment to reduce energy usage, using the Town's reclaimed water line to reduce water usage, and bicycle storage. Fire Sta on 8 is also the office for one of the Police Department's GeoPolicing districts. Innovative Technology Technology will play an increasingly important role in future communi es by promo ng economic development and enhancing consumer choices by diversifying modes of communica on, improving efficiency in services and u lity through the smart grid, and extending high speed internet access. Google has announced plans to install a fiber-op c networks in select ci es across the United States, which boasts internet speeds up to 100 mes faster than tradi onal broadband. In January 2015 Google selected Cary as one of its next communi es for fiber deployment and in June 2015 construc on began on its fiber network in the Triangle. AT&T's gigabit speed service update also provides a fiber-op c network within the town. In addi on to deploying smart water meters to all of its customers through the Aquastar Program, Cary is a municipal par cipant in the North Carolina Next Genera on Network, a regional ini a ve focused on s mula ng the deployment of next genera on broadband networks primarily focused on business and educa on in North Carolina. Access to fiber-op c cable networks is growing throughout Cary. Cary's A-Team sits ready for future winter storms. Resilience and Adaptation Resilience is the ability to return to normal a er an upset or disturbance. This concept can be applied to any number of unplanned upsets that can affect municipali es and the services they provide. Examples are fiscal upsets like recessions, upsets related to a weather event like a tornado or hurricane, upsets related to the regional transporta on network on which we rely, or unpredictable weather. Resilience planning is used to consider possible risks for these upsets and to plan for how to return to normal within a period of me. Adapta on considers when it might be prudent to adjust to a new set of condi ons. Add photo of Cary's A Team? The aging and diversifying popula on also has implica ons for public safety in Cary. There will likely be a greater demand placed on emergency management services for health-related care. 249