Chicomm Blog

First responders are life savers and providers of help in often dangerous situations. So it's easy to think of them as operating on their own or just with a partner.

In reality, the dispatch center communicating with a first responder connects them to a whole team of other individuals and systems that are critical to doing their job. When first responders speak to a dispatch center with their mobile or two-way radios, they're bringing a whole public safety team with them.

When police, emergency medical, and fire units communicate with each other, the various channels of communication technology need to be centralized so that a single trained professional can follow protocols and deploy the right resources to handle the specific emergency at hand.

Everyone in law enforcement is familiar with the tragic consequences of breakdowns in police radio communications: Personnel from different responding agencies can’t talk to each other, and the lack of coordination creates chaos and costs lives.

Lack of interoperability is one key reason that legacy analog two-way radio systems are being phased out, particularly within public safety, and replaced by digital systems. It’s a gradual change, but it is happening as more agencies recognize the importance of planning for the future.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at why it’s time to upgrade your police radio fleet from analog to digital.

It isn’t an overstatement to say that reliable communications in public safety saves lives. We know that departments rely on their radios and accessories to keep themselves and the people they serve safe. And you’re doing it all with fewer resources than ever.

As agencies balance safety and security with budgetary concerns, the right communications solution needs to meet all of their requirements and be economical. Police and firefighters have many of the same issues but different needs, and communications systems need to be tailored to meet their unique situations.

With all of the factors to consider for communications in public safety, here is some insight into how to maintain quality and security on a budget.

Public safety agencies are pros at maximizing their resources to go above and beyond with less, and the new trends in emergency vehicle equipment reflect that ability.

One common theme across the newest products is that they pack as much power into as small a device or as little space as possible. From three-in-one exterior lights for police cruisers to small mobile radios with oversized controls for firefighters, equipment is working harder, not larger, to keep first responders safe.

The start of a new year is always an exciting time to look ahead at new features and functionality, so here are some emergency vehicle equipment trends for 2017:

Many of the best public safety blogs are written by law enforcement, for law enforcement. But in addition to connecting officers across public safety agencies, blogs can also be an effective way for law enforcement to engage with their communities.

Police departments around the country are using public safety blogs to further their overall community policing strategies, with the ability to quickly disseminate information, offer the public a glimpse into the world of policing and even get a laugh or two.

Here are 7 reasons your agency might want to consider publishing public safety blogs.  

As more police departments – and state legislatures – weigh the use of police body cameras, cost has emerged as the leading barrier. In addition to funding the equipment, training and maintenance, departments and municipalities must also cover the considerable cost of storing video footage.

Storage costs, in fact, have proven to the be most expensive part of a body camera program, according to a Department of Justice Report, “Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned.” 

“Storing videos over the long term is an ongoing, extreme cost that agencies have to anticipate,” said Captain Thomas Roberts of Las Vegas in the report. While the cameras generally range in cost from $300 to $800 per officer, which is a fixed cost, the bill for storage can be close to $1,500 per year, per unit, which is an ongoing cost.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are coming up with creative solutions to minimize their storage costs for body cameras, so let’s take a look at three of them.

Much has changed about public engagement for public safety agencies since the days when officers were encouraged not to interact with the people on their beats and not to get too attached to any one community or neighborhood.

Today, departments around the country are successfully engaging with the public outside of strictly law enforcement activities to build mutual trust, relationships and connections. Some departments have gotten particularly creative in their public engagement work, making officers a presence in communities beyond walking the beat, while giving members of the public unique opportunities to be heard. Agencies are also using wireless communications technology to keep in constant contact.

By building dialogues online and in person, here are some examples of public safety agencies that are making public engagement a two-way street. 

Your police public information officer (PIO) is in charge of developing and implementing your public safety communications strategy, and chances are, they’ve got some things they’d love to change.

Because PIOs’ primary responsibility is to interact with the news media during emergencies and situations that are of the public interest, it’s tempting to think that’s where their jobs begin and end. But PIOs also serve an important community relations function and can coordinate communications during large-scale events – if they’re given the room to do so.

Here are five public safety communications strategies that we bet your police PIO wants to change.

It’s been almost a year since a coalition of national 911 organizations formed with what they called an “aggressive but achievable” goal of transitioning all emergency call systems and call centers to next generation 911 by 2020. In the months since the coalition announced its intentions, progress has been made, but the question still remains: Will next generation 911 meet its 2020 goals?

We don’t have a crystal ball handy to answer that question, but we can offer some insight about what progress has been made recently and how far the experts say there is to go.

As we’re starting a new year, it’s a good time to ask yourself – and your agency: Is our command center stuck in the past? Your center has countless moving parts, all of which need to be properly maintained, serviced and upgraded. But budget concerns, higher-profile priorities and a shortage of resources may mean your upgrades keep getting put on the back burner.

The beginning of a new year offers the opportunity to put your command center front and center. Here are 5 new year’s resolutions to strengthen your command center: