Enhancing Public Safety Communications: A Two-Decade Partnership with a New York-Based 911 Center
August 23rd, 2024
Written by Lada Kozachok, Marketing Specialist
For over two decades, Wilmac Technologies has partnered with a New York-based 911 center to revolutionize their public safety communication systems. This case study delves into the challenges faced, solutions provided, and the enduring success of this collaboration. Through persistent engagement and local presence, Wilmac has continuously met the evolving needs of the 911 center’s public safety communications, ensuring reliability and operational efficiency.
The Opportunity
Time of Initial Engagement
The partnership between Wilmac Technologies and the 911 center began in 2004, rooted in Wilmac’s direct approach and strong local connections in Western New York. This early foundation of trust and rapport has fostered a successful and enduring collaboration that continues to thrive today.
Challenges
At the outset, the 911 center faced a rapidly changing technology landscape. Transitioning from outdated reel-to-reel tape systems to modern solutions was crucial for improving public safety and operational efficiency. These outdated systems were unreliable, slow, and limited in capacity, making the need for an upgrade urgent.
Partnering with NICE, Wilmac positioned NICE Inform against Dictaphone throughout the RFP process. The 911 center needed a partner who could offer local support and navigate these challenges with expertise and reliability. Wilmac Technologies stepped in to fulfill this crucial role.
Understanding the 911 center’s urgent needs and the limitations of their current systems, Wilmac offered unwavering local support and deep technical knowledge. Their hands-on approach and commitment to helping the 911 center adapt to new technologies ensured a smoother transition and a more reliable public safety communication system.
Frequent severe weather conditions, including heavy snowstorms and occasional earthquakes, significantly increase call volume and complexity. Additionally, the 911 center records calls for the entire county, managing multiple smaller PSAPs within its jurisdiction.
System Specifications
- Call Takers: The system includes 228 channels, each integrating 911 trunks with full redundancy to ensure every call is reliably recorded twice. It accommodates 50 call takers at the primary site and 48 at the backup site.
- Annual Call Volume: Approximately 900,000 emergency and non-emergency calls.
- Population Served: Around 950,000 people.
The Solution
Products / Services Provided by Wilmac
The 911 center has been utilizing NICE public safety solutions for an extended period. Initially, they operated on older NICE systems, transitioning through various versions: NICE 8.9, then NICE Perform, and finally NICE Inform.
In 2015, they transitioned to NICE Inform, and in 2016, they upgraded to NICE Inform Professional due to the need for integrations with updated technologies such as Intrado Viper and VoIP telephony. They also wanted to add Quality Assurance applications to assess call handlers and telecommunicators.
Despite being on outdated hardware and software for a significant period, the 911 center managed their public safety operations with the legacy systems until this transition.
How They Solved the Challenges
Wilmac Technologies provided unwavering local support and deep technical knowledge, ensuring a smooth transition to modern systems. They deployed NICE Inform, incorporating applications such as Evaluator, Reporter, Organizer, Verify, Monitor, and Reconstruction to address the 911 center’s needs comprehensively.
Basic NICE Inform Applications
Verify
Allows dispatchers or call takers to quickly play back recent calls for confirmation purposes.
Monitor
Enables supervisors to listen live to call takers and dispatchers, ensuring real-time oversight and immediate support.
Add-on Applications
Evaluator
The QA program where all review evaluations are done. Users can search for calls and auto-play incidents while filling out scorecards, ensuring comprehensive quality assessments.
Reporter
Provides a quick view of the evaluations done in Evaluator, enabling team leaders to monitor performance efficiently.
The Outcomes
The partnership between Wilmac Technologies and New York-based 911 center has led to significant improvements in public safety communications, notably enhancing response times during emergencies and ensuring the system’s resilience in handling high call volumes during crises.
The deployment of NICE Inform ensured:
Reliable recording of all communications
Improved operational efficiency through easy search and replay
Enabled secure and timely distribution of recordings
Achievements & Key Benefits
High-Level Accomplishments and Benefits
The 911 center has greatly enhanced its public safety communications, enabling effective management of high-stakes situations. The partnership has delivered key benefits, including reliable recording, improved operational efficiency, secure and timely distribution of recordings, and comprehensive incident reconstruction. Over time, this collaboration has also proven to be cost-effective, reducing downtime and the need for emergency repairs while ensuring compliance with regulations and reinforcing public trust in the reliability of local emergency services. Ultimately, the partnership has been instrumental in creating a safer community, supported by a robust system that meets the evolving demands of the 911 center.
Continued Partnership
What the Ongoing Relationship Looks Like
Wilmac Technologies maintains a gold-level maintenance contract with the 911 center, providing continuous on-site support and regular system check-ins. This proactive approach ensures the system remains up-to-date and operationally effective. The ongoing partnership involves regular upgrades and integration efforts, reflecting a commitment to staying current with technological advancements and operational needs. The relationship is characterized by frequent touchpoints and a deep understanding of the 911 center’s unique requirements.
