4/5/2011 - Town Honors Port Washington Entrepreneur as “Hometown Hero”

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                   Contact: Collin Nash or Sid Nathan
April 5, 2011                                                                                                                                                              (516) 869-7794

Town Honors Port Washington Entrepreneur as “Hometown Hero”
 

Manhasset, NY—Since meeting an extraordinary young man at a community clean-up last Spring, Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Town Clerk Leslie Gross and the Town’s elected officials have joined together to occasionally recognize residents whose actions are positively impacting our world.

Recently, Town Clerk Leslie Gross played host, teaming up with Town Board aides as well as representatives from local law enforcement and the schools to pay tribute to North Hempstead’s latest Hometown Hero, Port Washington native and entrepreneur Seth Cirker.

“Today’s honoree perfectly fits the profile of a Hometown Hero,” Gross, who conceived the program, told a small gathering inside Town Hall’s board room. “He has made great strides in making our community a better place, a safer place.”

Supervisor Kaiman said Cirker’s invention will help restore families’ peace of mind.

“In today’s world where the safety of students on the campuses of secondary schools and colleges has become a major concern, Seth Cirker’s invention couldn’t be anymore timely,” Supervisor Kaiman said. “We are truly honored in recognizing him as our very own Hometown Hero.”

Motivated by the recent rise in school violence and concern for the security of his three school-age children, Cirker, the founder of SituCon Systems, developed a groundbreaking safety technology. The system—consisting of a wireless transmitter, a camera with “eyelids” to prevent unauthorized monitoring, and real-time laptop or smart phone video feed—allows users to wirelessly summon the help of authorities, who, through Cirker’s invention, have the ability to view the situation in real time.

“With just the push of a button, individuals can now instantly alert authorities that they are in trouble and let responders see firsthand what’s happening,” Cirker explained. “Privacy is guaranteed at all times, eliminating Big Brother concerns.”

Cirker’s Emergency Awareness system is presently deployed in two Port Washington schools, Sousa and Guggenheim elementary.

William Kilfoil, Chief of the Port Washington Police District, said the Emergency Awareness system will help Port Washington’s first responders react quicker during an incident, enabling them resolve issues before they escalate.

Assistant police chief, Jim Salerno said: “It’s important for us to be able to see a situation in real time so we can dispatch our officers appropriately.”

Nicholas Sterling, assistant superintendent for curriculum in the Port Washington School District, said: “The system goes beyond security to the education of our students.”

Similar praises for Cirker’s system are being echoed elsewhere. The communities of Brookline and Marshfield, Mass., for instance, as well as the Nassau County branch of the Association for Help of Retarded Children in Brookville.

Recognized as groundbreaking, innovative technology, Cirker’s Emergency Awareness System was recently granted a US patent.