Maryland Police, Fire, EMS and Public Safety Answering Points to be connected across one communications platform.
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has announced that all emergency response agencies across the state will soon be connected for all voice and data information. This effort will enable a coordinated response to all emergencies allowing Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Public Safety Answering Points (911 call centers) to share real-time information as a situation occurs.
According to Governor O’Malley, “We have learned all too well the tragic lessons of the events of the last decade; from the attacks of September 11, 2001 to Hurricane Katrina. Lives can be lost or saved based on key systems and capabilities such as communications and computer aided dispatch and their ability to function under the most extreme duress. This implementation is a giant step towards the level of interoperability and communication we have committed ourselves to across the state for all public safety agencies.”
The essential system installation includes Computer Aided Dispatch, Digital Mapping connected to GPS satellite navigation, shared communication links across wired and wireless networks, and an integrated Records Management System that will allow all first responders to not only coordinate their efforts, but accurately record events in a concise and combined set of digital records.
Governor O’Malley added, “This gives us a tremendous information sharing ability. We’ve always felt that every law enforcement officer in every region across Maryland should have the ability to transmit and receive critical information from the field and with this system, they will. Importantly, the information exchange will occur on a real-time basis.
According to Ray Lehr, State Interoperability Director, “The Statewide CAD/RMS system will give state and local first responders critical information directly, without dispatchers having to make calls to other agencies. This is essential to getting the right information to those who need it as quickly as possible. In these times of limited resources, it’s more essential than ever that we share resources with each other.”
InterAct’s CEO, John McNulty, said, “Maryland is a benchmark for the future of public safety. I’m proud that we were able to scale our solutions to their needs, adapt to their legacy systems and offer flexible options across the state to create a total solution for both interoperability and consolidation of agency systems.”
Mark Fetherolf, InterAct’s CTO added, “The Computer Aided Dispatch or CAD serves as the primary foundation for the implementation. We’ve developed a next-generation CAD system that we feel will help Maryland achieve the goals the Governor set forth.” The Governor summarized his position this way, " At the state and local level the tools and information sharing systems that law enforcement needs on a daily basis to combat drug trafficking and violent crimes should be - and are - the same tools needed to detect and prevent acts by terrorists within our own shores. How we coordinate our efforts across all agencies will define the success of our first responders in serving and protecting the residents of the great state of Maryland.”
The installation through InterAct Public Safety Systems has already begun with the Notice-to-proceed awarded on January 3, 2011. According to Fetherolf, “We came in with what we felt was a fresh approach and an open mind. We knew it was important to design a solution that worked with existing legacy systems and to create an interface that would work across agencies and future installations.”
About InterAct Public Safety Systems
InterAct Public Safety Systems is a leading provider of public safety incident response and management software. We help first responders coordinate, communicate and react to unplanned events quickly, safely and accurately so these heroes can save lives. Over the last three decades we have emerged as a leading global provider of incident management solutions for both the public and private safety markets.
Founded in 1975, InterAct provides integrated multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional public safety, corporate security, and homeland security systems technology. InterAct’s mission is to enable public safety professionals to perform critical functions at their highest level. Our solutions allow these personnel to make the right decisions, at the right time, and make it possible for the right people to affect the best outcomes and save lives.