Post by cooter on Feb 22, 2007 12:56:52 GMT -5
Naperville high-tech gear will help police, fire
By Jake Griffin
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, February 22, 2007
Emergency dispatchers in Naperville are being armed with a tool that’s expected to cut response time for police, fire and medical emergencies.
New mapping software interfaced with global positioning systems in emergency vehicles will allow dispatchers to locate emergency workers in real time to determine who can best respond to an incident.
Roughly 80 percent of police vehicles have been fitted with the necessary equipment and the remainder should be online by week’s end, officials said. Fire vehicles and ambulances will be outfitted in coming months. The project will cost $85,000.
“It’s all part of the wireless upgrade that brought mapping into our center,” said Beth Burton, communications manager for the police department. “We’re using the same system to locate wireless callers.”
The software currently shows dispatchers where vehicles are on a map, but the next phase is to add software that will enable the system to identify the nearest available respondent.
“Right now, it’s visual assistance,” Burton said. “We can see where they are, but can’t tell if they’re already assigned to a call. The next phase will show which vehicles are unavailable.”
That phase of the project is expected to be online in the next six months, she said.
Larry Gunderson, information technology team leader, said the program is beneficial to more than just dispatchers.
“Officers can also see the information as well in their in-car computers,” he said. “The officers will know where all their colleagues are as well, which we found to be helpful.”
Assistant Fire Chief Mike Zywanski said his department is looking forward to implementing the system.
“Our units aren’t always in the station and if the dispatchers can see that and ask for response elsewhere, that’s going to shave some valuable time off calls,” he said. “Minutes count here; even seconds count.”
The systems are able to track vehicles to within 20 feet of their signals, Grunderson said.
There currently are no plans to implement the program through other parts of the city’s vehicle fleet, but he noted Chicago snowplows are equipped with the technology.
By Jake Griffin
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, February 22, 2007
Emergency dispatchers in Naperville are being armed with a tool that’s expected to cut response time for police, fire and medical emergencies.
New mapping software interfaced with global positioning systems in emergency vehicles will allow dispatchers to locate emergency workers in real time to determine who can best respond to an incident.
Roughly 80 percent of police vehicles have been fitted with the necessary equipment and the remainder should be online by week’s end, officials said. Fire vehicles and ambulances will be outfitted in coming months. The project will cost $85,000.
“It’s all part of the wireless upgrade that brought mapping into our center,” said Beth Burton, communications manager for the police department. “We’re using the same system to locate wireless callers.”
The software currently shows dispatchers where vehicles are on a map, but the next phase is to add software that will enable the system to identify the nearest available respondent.
“Right now, it’s visual assistance,” Burton said. “We can see where they are, but can’t tell if they’re already assigned to a call. The next phase will show which vehicles are unavailable.”
That phase of the project is expected to be online in the next six months, she said.
Larry Gunderson, information technology team leader, said the program is beneficial to more than just dispatchers.
“Officers can also see the information as well in their in-car computers,” he said. “The officers will know where all their colleagues are as well, which we found to be helpful.”
Assistant Fire Chief Mike Zywanski said his department is looking forward to implementing the system.
“Our units aren’t always in the station and if the dispatchers can see that and ask for response elsewhere, that’s going to shave some valuable time off calls,” he said. “Minutes count here; even seconds count.”
The systems are able to track vehicles to within 20 feet of their signals, Grunderson said.
There currently are no plans to implement the program through other parts of the city’s vehicle fleet, but he noted Chicago snowplows are equipped with the technology.