Last week, Mahoning County (OH) commissioners approved approximately $2.9 million in upgrades to software at each of the county’s eight public safety answering points (PSAPs), including the computer-aided dispatch system (CAD), and a new records management system (RMS), reported The Vindicator. Equipment and software provider Spillman Technologies of Utah, a Motorola company, will be paid annually over seven years for the upgrades.
Austintown Police Chief Robert Gavalier said the county’s current CAD system has been in use since 2003.
The new software will allow county law enforcement to, for the first time, share information in real time, he said. “The current software does not support the changes occurring in the industry….This current system that we’re going to purchase will bring us into the 21st century,” Gavalier added.
When a 911 call is made, the new system will allow dispatchers to send officers detailed information, including a map with a suggested route to the call, notes from the dispatcher and a criminal history of the person or place, reported The Vindicator.
Additionally, the next generation of 911 emergency services is developing — E911 — which uses texting to initiate contact. Gov. John Kasich’s administration has called for a reduction in the number of PSAPs statewide, by tying a county’s population to the number of PSAPs able to receive revenue for 911 system upgrades from the E911 tax – the small fee found on wireless bills.
Counties in Ohio began the 911 consolidation process about one year ago, laying the groundwork for a centralized dispatch system, officials said. Comments? Email Us.
December 18, 2018
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