Techniques, apparatus and systems for information collecting and decision making based on one or more tiered networks of sensors and communication nodes for security monitoring and warning, disaster warning, counter-terrorism, and other applications associated with information collecting and decision making. In implementations, the one or more tier networks in the plurality of different tier networks include network nodes at roadway intersections; the sensors include automatic license plate recognition sensors to obtain data on vehicle license plates; and the response produced by the processing mechanism includes controlling traffic controllers to alter traffic routes at one or more locations. In other implementations, each command center in a tier network comprises a database to store data, a situation awareness module to provide event detection, event forecasting, assessment and response, an analytic module to analyze data characteristics, and a communication module to provide communications with adjacent subordinate and superordinate tier networks.