NEW PUBLIC SAFETY SOFTWARE DISCUSSED AT COUNTY COMMISSONERS

  

Switching over to the new public safety software was the main topic of discussion during the monthly reports to the Washington County Commissioners this (Tuesday) morning.  County 911 Dispatch Operations Manager Kristy Taylor said the new system went live last week, and it was challenging dealing with the new software and having a leak at a gas well at the same time.  She said the response to the new software is positive, but there were a few bugs that needed to be worked out.  She also noted that the new software company has been very responsive in addressing issues that come up.

The new software integrates law enforcement, fire and EMS into a single system preventing the same data from having to be entered multiple times.  Once fully operational, that data can be accessed by the County Jail and the District Attorney’s Office also.  EMS Director Kevin Deramus said it is a big change over the old system.  He noted that the new software allows dispatchers to enter roadblocks as they happen, and emergency responders are automatically re-routed around them. He also said the system shows the dispatcher which EMS unit is closest to a call, cutting down on response times.

County Judge John Brieden said that the new system is currently running side by side with the old software, so if there is a big issue, agencies can switch back to the old.  He noted that one issue they did come across during the gas well evacuation last week was a number of people inside the evacuation area were not signed up for reverse 911.  He encouraged everyone to go to the county’s website and sign up for the service.  He said the system is only used for emergencies so residents do not need to worry about being harassed with unnecessary messages.

 

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

One Comment

  1. Except when you call the 911 operator and you have to tell the three times the city and state you live in before you get to the Washington county Dispatch. I’m just afraid those mostly your elderly that call will hang up not knowing that it is the 911 number they called. Hope things get better with the system.

Back to top button