The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has selected NICE Investigate, a digital evidence management solution, to modernise its fire investigations and accelerate case resolution for suspicious fires. The move brings the Bureau of Fire Investigation into a new era of digital evidence management, streamlining how investigators collect, analyse, and share critical case information.
NICE Investigate, part of the Evidencentral platform, integrates various sources of digital evidence, including crime scene photos, 911 calls, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) records, and CCTV footage into a single system. This eliminates the need for investigators to manually log into different databases or physically collect video footage, reducing delays in fire investigations. The system also uses artificial intelligence for object detection, redaction, and transcription, further enhancing efficiency.
Chris Wooten, executive vice president of NICE, said, “With the addition of NICE Investigate, the FDNY Bureau of Investigations will now have one place to manage and store growing digital evidence, and the ability to conduct more efficient and effective fire investigations. Investigators will also be able to share digital evidence with prosecutors through a more streamlined process, and sooner, in support of New York State’s stringent discovery laws.”
The FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Investigation handles thousands of arson and fire-related cases annually. With NICE Investigate, the department will integrate digital evidence into case files seamlessly, request CCTV footage from businesses and residents, and track evidence-sharing through secure links. NICE will also migrate existing digital evidence from FDNY’s legacy system into the new platform to ensure a smooth transition.