911 Hits The Road

Emergency 911 service is something everyone depends on, and it can make all the difference during any type of disaster. But what happens if a 911 call center has been affected and can’t dispatch emergency calls?

For many urban areas and communities prone to natural disaster, the question can be sobering. Dixie County Emergency Services in Florida has turned to an answer from Avaya and TCI.

Just 18 miles from the Florida Gulf Coast, community safety is paramount, especially during the middle of hurricane season. County officials have learned lessons from the disorganization along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and want to be prepared for any emergency situation.

"There have been several major Gulf hurricanes, and we've seen the devastation that can result," said Mike Gantt, 911 division chief for Dixie County Emergency Services. "Most of the communities hit by Hurricane Katrina were left with nothing. We wanted to make certain we had the ability to go back to work as a 911 center for the county, even if the building was inaccessible."

Using an integrated solution from Avaya and TCI, the county can now take its 911 center on the road and dispatch calls from any location. The Mobile Command Center is anchored by a 45-foot truck that contains everything the county’s emergency services team needs to manage 911 calls remotely.

Voice and data is provided by an Avaya Mobile Communication System. The technology supports analog, digital and IP communication devices and delivers connectivity via a number of methods like a phone line, data network, cellular system, satellite, radio or Wi-Fi network.

TCI’s Synapse E911 Call Handling Solution integrates with Avaya’s communications software to provide 911 dispatchers a familiar work environment to manage calls in the mobile center. Synapse tracks 911 call statistics, records conversations, displays the location of the caller and allows for dispatching of the correct services.

Dixie County also is implementing a new Avaya IP telephony infrastructure for the main 911 dispatch center to become part of an extended network of emergency service organizations across northwest Florida. Using a high-speed data network provided by the state, the agencies can share resources and direct calls to the correct department.

"The beauty of the mobile system and the new IP telephony network we're installing is that they are easy to operate and use the same, familiar workstation," Gantt said. "Our dispatchers don't have to worry about the technology. Instead they can concentrate on doing their job."

About the Author

Brent Dirks is senior editor for Security Today and Campus Security Today magazines.

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