Dispatch Center Systems - Sample Projects
The following are three (3) sample project stories specifically concerning our firm’s engagements in helping public safety departments plan, design, and acquire new dispatch systems:
State of Maine Department of Public Safety
In 2007, Maine’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) struck an agreement with the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office (KSO) to consolidate the latter’s PSAP and dispatching functions into a combined dispatch center located at the Augusta (ME) radio control center (RCC). However, dispatchers were then required to continue using the two, different, legacy CAD systems that were carried into the new center. Such an arrangement was operationally inefficient, unnecessarily costly, and a stress point to dispatcher performance and morale over the long run. Thus, as an extension to our strong work on their Maine State Communications Network, or “MSCommNet”, our firm’s long-running relationship with DPS was expanded in 2008 to help resolve this problem by developing a CAD system consolidation strategy.
This initial engagement was quickly expanded to include (1) a visioning exercise for their three other RCCs in Orono, Houlton, and Gray, and (2) a technology review and interoperability strategy for their statewide RMS and mobile field reporting system.
Macro’s work included a dispatch operations analysis of sample RCCs, user needs assessment, functional requirements benchmarking, legacy systems gap analysis, and a fully-supported recommended system redeployment strategy with pro forma engineering cost estimates. DPS accepted each of Macro’s recommendations once they confirmed that Macro’s forecast cost of the recommended design approach, implementation, data conversion, training, and maintenance program met the budget and content requirements of the State’s $8 million Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant.
City of Chandler, AZ
In 2005, the City of Chandler Police Department (CPD) contracted with Macro to develop a set of user needs, a gap analysis, and a recommended system design for a new CAD/RMS suite of functions. For Phase 1 of the engagement, Macro performed a Needs and Requirements Analysis that identified additional department functions, best practices, software requirements, and records automation. Our report presented the trade-offs and respective cost/benefits of implementing a reliable, NIBRS-compliant, Integrated CAD and RMS for police operations. Chandler’s new CAD/RMS system will allow the city’s police department to:
- To become National Information Base Reporting System or NIBRS compliant by 2009
- Reduce the amount of time officers spend writing reports
- Develop a system into which historical and demographic data will convert
- Improve the efficiency of Police Department Personnel through more efficient use of technology
- Plan for integration of the new RMS with their legacy Court and Jail Management Systems
- To become National Information Base Reporting System or NIBRS compliant by 2009
- Reduce the amount of time officers spend writing reports
- Develop a system into which historical and demographic data will convert
- Improve the efficiency of Police Department Personnel through more efficient use of technology
- Plan for integration of the new RMS with their legacy Court and Jail Management Systems
After preparing its recommended CAD/RMS modernization plan and design, and gaining the City’s concurrence,, our firm prepared a comprehensive Request-for-Proposal (RFP) Specification for the City to solicit competitive vendor proposals. Macro will soon be reviewing and vetting all proposals deemed responsive, qualified, and competitive, conducting oral interviews/demonstrations with selected vendors, and recommending a fully supported contractor solution, on behalf of the CPD.
Port Authority New York and New Jersey Police
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) is responsible for operating and maintaining:
- 4 major bridges
- 2 tunnels
- 3 cruise and 4 cargo ports
- 6 ferry lines
- 3 international and 3 regional airports
- 2 bus terminals for NJ Transit and several private operators
- The “PATH” commuter rail service, and…
- the redeveloped World Trade Center (WTC) complex
The PANY/NJ is the largest multimodal commerce network in the western hemisphere and serves a permanent population base of more than 35 million residents as well as millions more annual visitors/travelers – all within and between greater New York City and Newark, NJ. Front line public safety for this critical, expansive infrastructure is provided by its Police Department comprising 1,600 sworn officers – a force as large as those found in many small cities – 37 of whom were lost during the WTC attacks on 9/11.
As part of our long-term, omnibus contract with PANY/NJ, we conducted a thorough user needs survey, “gap” analysis, and business process assessment (BPA) of their police dispatching operation, which concluded with Macro recommending a complete modernization of its aging, unreliable, obsolete legacy CAD/RMS/MDC systems. The PANY/NJ is presently programming the next phases of work on this assignment, which would include the preparation of a detailed system design, an engineering cost estimate, and preparing a technical specification for a competitive vendor proposal solicitation, into its next budget cycle.
|
