In most cases, organizations rely on wireless technology to improve things like efficiency or communication. While these things are important to a business, they are actually mission-critical to those in public safety - meaning the difference between life and death.

The public relies on police and fire departments to be there when they need them. They lean on these agencies in the case of an emergency, and in everyday life. In order to best be prepared to be there for their communities, decision makers often employ various wireless technologies like two-way radios and develop intuitive dispatch centers to improve response times. 

Over time, the technologies available to those in public safety evolve in order to best meet their needs. As decision maker, it is important to stay on top of these trends to ensure your agency is always equipped and prepared with the latest technology (which is vital in mission critical communications). 

Your community depends on you. Sure, this may sound a bit dramatic at times, but the truth is that for those who work in the public safety sector or public works, this dependence is a very real thing – especially when an emergency arises.

Power outages, severe weather alerts, or even an issue with the water supply are considered community-sensitive events – meaning they impact an entire population at the same time. When these events occur, it is absolutely vital for those responsible for keeping the public safe or remedying the issue that they stay in constant contact, and their communications are dependable (regardless of the environment).

The future of 9-1-1 communications is changing. The things that worked in the past have been sufficient but thanks to innovation and technology, there are now new opportunities to enhance the dynamic between the person reporting a public safety incident and the responder mediating the conversation. Cell phones and wireless connectivity are shaping up to be great contributors to the next generation of 9-1-1 operations.

While it may not be extremely evident yet, the incorporation of these new technologies in 9-1-1 responding has been evolving as peoples’ wireless usage changes. Next Generation 911 (NG911), will be a primary contributor to the new landscape of emergency reporting and response. Next Generation 9-1-1 pushes for the incorporation of wireless communication solutions to enhance public safety operations.

As children, we were taught to call 9-1-1 whenever there is an emergency nearby. It is something that has been ingrained in us. We call them first for a reason: we expect them to help us, and help us quickly. But what if the police officer, firefighter or EMT paramedic was unable to respond to your crisis because they didn’t know how to get to your location? Thanks to GPS, we don't need to worry about that anymore.  

GPS (global positioning system) has taken the guesswork out of navigation and made directions immediately accessible. The accuracy of the system has made GPS an asset to military, stock market users and emergency responders. The atomic clock’s ability to be within a millisecond can provide this industry with the precision to make calculated decisions with confidence.

For decades, people have known to call “911” to easily reach police, fire, or emergency medical assistance from any phone in any location. Created in the late 1960s, the system was designed to work with the technology that existed at the time -- wired phones in residences and businesses.

As technology has evolved, “911” has kept pace, going from a landline system to a sophisticated labyrinth of new capabilities that can enhance any crisis response, better protecting people and communities.

Here’s a sampling of the new technology that is now available to many emergency agencies:

I write this to all of those Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs and Public Works Directors as well as the IT departments of all the towns and governments that oversee a budget.

Today’s technologies are merging and what you were individually responsible for ten years ago is not the same today. Your technology requirements are starting to converge with other agencies within your city. Police, Fire, Public Works, Administration and Park Districts are all now sharing the same connectivity paths.

Is your city safe?

Many cities are asking this question. Safe City initiatives are on the rise around the world due to unique, ever-evolving and complex threats. As populations grow, so do the size and intricacy of the infrastructure required to support them. Municipalities must be able to respond with a citywide, unified approach to safety and security.

Implementing comprehensive command-and-control solutions to improve situation awareness, gather actionable intelligence and more effectively respond to incidents have become essential to growing urban populations such as those in Surat City, India, and Guayaquil, Ecuador.