In the world of public safety, every second counts. Our customers know this better than anyone as they work day in and day out to be there for their communities in the most critical moments. At Summit 2024, we had the opportunity to sit with a few of our Flex customers and ask them how technology plays a role in that important mission.
“When someone is in cardiac arrest, time is of the essence,” William Santiago from Springfield, MA Emergency Communications said. “When there’s a house burning, a fire can go up within minutes. But with Flex, that response is generated immediately. The minute the dispatcher put in the call, I was able to see how instantaneously our EMT provider, fire department, and police department had the information, and a response was initiated in less than a minute.”
Flex isn’t just software; it’s an all-in-one public safety suite designed to improve response and resolution. With more than 40 years of successful customer partnerships, Flex has become a trusted name in the industry.
Our new “Flex in Focus” blog series explores the innovative and integrated features of Flex with real customer success stories. In this first installment, we’ll dive into how Flex transforms law enforcement data sharing and efficiency, two critical elements in emergency situations.
The power of data
In today’s interconnected world, quick and accurate information sharing across units and agencies is crucial. Public safety incidents often require coordinated responses from multiple departments – police, fire, EMS – and even across different municipalities. Without efficient data sharing, these agencies risk operating in silos, potentially leading to miscommunication, delayed responses, and inefficient resource utilization.
Rick Holmes, Application Support Specialist at Tulare County, emphasized this point when he reflected on how their recent Flex implementation has impacted their operations. “The biggest thing I’m seeing and that everybody’s talking about is sharing data across platforms. Just having that data repository, sharing the data has been huge.” Holmes said.
How Flex optimizes data sharing
Flex enables instantaneous sharing of critical information across its connected systems. As William Santiago noted, as soon as dispatchers put in a call, EMT, fire, and police departments are notified of the incoming information, enabling the nearest teams to jump into action. Yet, the flow of data does not stop there. With multi-agency capabilities, Flex breaks down information silos between different agencies and jurisdictions. Whether it is a local incident or a multi-agency response, all relevant parties have access to the same updated information. Finally, by integrating the data flows of computer-aided dispatch (CAD), mobile, records management, and jail management modules, Flex lessens the need for manual data entry across multiple systems, reducing errors and saving time.
Efficiency: The cornerstone of public safety
Seconds save lives. Designed with this principle at its core, Flex fosters efficient public safety operations in several ways. For example, Flex’s streamlined workflows allow agencies to customize their processes to match their specific needs, eliminating unnecessary steps to focus on what matters most. Additionally, with automated data entry between products, Flex minimizes errors and frees personnel to focus on critical tasks. Finally, with real-time data on incident locations and unit statuses, dispatchers can make informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring the right resources get to the right place at the right time.
The true measure of Flex’s success in data sharing and efficiency is its impact on the ground. Jonathan Emery, Sergeant at Otero County Sheriff’s Department, put it succinctly when he said,
“The technology cuts down on time, and if you cut down on time, you’re saving a life.”
This sentiment is at the heart of what Flex aims to achieve. By facilitating seamless law enforcement data sharing and optimizing operational efficiency, Flex is improving processes for agencies across the country to save critical seconds and help keep our communities safer.
