Trailblazers are innovators, lifelong learners, movers and shakers— leaders who leave a path for others to follow. Most importantly, trailblazers are people who build a better world for others. In the world of emergency communications, Motorola Solutions is honored to partner with three distinguished trailblazers who are undoubtedly paving the way for a better future for NG9-1-1, starting in their home state of Florida.
Meet Bob Finney, Director of Communications Technology for Collier County, Stacy Hardy, ECC Chief for Manatee County Emergency Communications, and Sally Lawrence, 9-1-1 Coordinator of Public Safety Communications for Sarasota County. Collier, Manatee and Sarasota counties have implemented Motorola Solutions’ NGCS services. By sharing their experience in the new world of Next Generation Core Services (NGCS) on a recent NENA sponsored webinar, these trailblazers are inspiring and encouraging other PSAPs to change the trajectory of emergency call handling for the good of their communities.
We’ve captured a high-level overview of their discussion for you in this blog. But don’t miss the complete webinar because it offers you, for the first time, the inside track of NGCS deployment and benefits from your colleagues.
The Timing Is Right
Bob kicks off the discussion with three significant points— timing, costs, working with new vendors. Regarding timing, he makes an analogy where he compares the move from legacy to IP with his recent purchase of a new car. He wasn’t driving a lemon, it was working just fine (as have legacy selective routers for years). But he was getting a little nervous about the age and felt it was time to consider a car that was more reliable. He asks us the question— how much longer will we be able to depend on legacy selective routers? Hear Bob’s thoughts.
Regional Benefits
With NGCS, counties like Collier, Manatee, and Sarasota can now take disaster planning to a new level. In the legacy world, disaster planning typically involves a backup center. But because of the close proximity of the backup centers to the main center, even if located in a neighboring county, this solution is not always helpful— especially in Florida where hurricanes are the predominant disaster. Hear Bob explain how NGCS can make a big difference in disaster planning.
Sally gives another perspective to the regional benefits of NGCS in describing the ability to deliver location with the call. Her example points out how NGCS will solve a long-standing headache for Sarasota and neighboring Manatee county.
What NGCS Means for Telecommunicators
For telecommunicators, silence is not always golden. If telecommunicators don’t hear calls coming in, it’s a signal something could be wrong. Stacy shares her viewpoint on the move to NGCS and what the technology can mean to telecommunicators.
What Does Trust Have to Do with It?
Maybe one of the most fitting comparisons is when Bob talks about self-driving cars, NGCS and trust. He admits he had some hesitancy in the beginning, similar to how many of us feel about self-driving cars. But now, after a successful cutover and without any loss of 9-1-1 calls, he praises the resiliency and redundancy offered by NGCS over the legacy world.
Thank you, Bob, Sally and Stacy, for blazing the path for a better future for NG9-1-1 and trusting in the difference it will make for the communities you serve. Listen to the full webinar.
For more information on implementing NGCS and how your PSAP can deliver location with the call now, using your existing ALI and GIS data, listen to the Location-Based Routing NENA sponsored webinar.
