On August 30, the Department of Emergency Communications for the City of Montgomery, AL held a press event to present its newly-redesigned 911 Center. During the event, Mayor Todd Strange, Director of Emergency Communications Larry Fisher, and leaders from the city’s police and fire departments explained how the 911 Center’s new technologies will help the City of Montgomery better protect and serve its citizens.
The redesigned 911 Center features ergonomic control room furniture, a P25 radio system, and a Next Generation 9-1-1 phone system that will allow callers to communicate with operators via voice, photos, video, and text. In addition, the center will leverage a real-time digital mapping platform that displays the locations of 911 calls, traffic incidents, and emergency responders on a live, 3D map of the city.
The facility has also been upgraded with a Haivision video wall system, which will allow operators to visualize and manage the data generated by their new informational tools. “The goal here was to be able to keep situational awareness,” explained Larry Fisher. Leveraging the video wall, operators will be able to access their real-time mapping program, call-response statistics, live camera footage, and more as they receive and respond to calls over various emergency communication channels.
The 911 Center features ergonomic control room furniture, a P25 radio system, and a Next Generation 9-1-1 phone system that will allow callers to communicate with operators via voice, photos, video, and text. In addition, the center will leverage a real-time digital mapping platform that displays the locations of 911 calls, traffic incidents, and emergency responders on a live, 3D map of the city.
This new workflow will help operators gather critical information and deliver it to responders in real-time, prepping them for the situation they are approaching. “This helps to get our officers more information as they’re responding to the calls, getting them prepared for what they’re going to experience when they get there,” explained Major Scott Tatum of the Montgomery Police Department. “Any additional information they can get will help them once they get on the scene to better save lives and protect themselves.”
City officials believe that the next-generation technology in the updated 911 Center will dramatically enhance communication between residents, 911 operators, and emergency responders, helping to save lives and improve outcomes for citizens. Haivision is proud to have assisted the Department of Emergency Communications in this initiative by providing greater situational awareness to its dedicated 911 team.