Connecting 911 Emergency Equipment
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 The Challenge
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The California-based Arcata Police Department, committed to excellence in community policing, strives to improve their response time to police emergencies.
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The Arcata Police Department wanted to upgrade their records management system and add a Computer Aided Dispatch system in order to improve their quality of information gathering and timeliness of their 911 Emergency response time. They could obtain a new system and save costs by sharing services and information with the Eureka Police Department. A new feature within their Computer Aided Dispatch system was the ability to automatically copy 911 data from Pacific Bell E911 equipment into the Computer Aided Dispatch system. Unfortunately, since the departments were seven miles away from each other, it would require a leased telephone line to communicate, which would add costly monthly telephone charges.
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Precidia's Solution |
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Precidia's Ether232Plus provided the ideal solution for Arcata Police Department to communicate between their Pacific Bell E911 equipment and Computer Aided Dispatch system with Eureka Police Department's AS400. Using Precidia's Ether232Plus, Arcata Police Department was able to network their serial-based E911 emergency equipment to the Wide Area Network (WAN) using TCP/IP to create a real-time communication path between the two locations.
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The Ether232Plus is the ideal solution for them, because it is a one-time low-cost purchase that allows them to continue to use their existing equipment and utilize their T-1 line. By connecting the Ether232Plus to the serial port of their 911 equipment, the data is converted to TCP/IP and tunneled over the network to the other Ether232Plus and converted back to serial to be able to do a "911 data dump" into the AS/400. With the Ether232Plus, Arcata is able to send and store the data, thus, providing up-to-date and accurate information for emergency personnel. Incorporating the Computer Aided Dispatch system enables both departments to access detailed maps of the city, accurately and efficiently identify wanted persons and vehicles, and enter caution notes on specific properties or individuals, which provide officers with additional information before they arrive at the scene. "The Ether232 is the ideal solution for integrating serial-based equipment. This inexpensive addition to our emergency equipment was plug and play. We haven't missed a beat since installation," said Chris Gallagher, Chief of Police for Arcata Police Department. "It really did give us the piece of the puzzle that was necessary to bring vital data from serial equipment to the dispatcher using CAD."
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Benefits |
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By using Precidia's Ether232Plus to create an integrated solution, Arcata Police Department is able to obtain significant savings and operational efficiencies, while increasing the safety and satisfaction of the community. Some of the benefits include:
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- Cost Savings
The device seamlessly installs into the existing infrastructure, and requires no upgrade or replacement of older operational equipment. It allows serial equipment to communicate from remote sites to the LAN/WAN, eliminating the need to purchase additional equipment and wiring.
- Remote Administration
With the Ether232Plus, the network administrator is able to remotely configure and manage the devices from a central location. The device also has the capability to perform automatic routing of traffic to a backup system during a disaster.
- Remote Diagnostics
The Ether232Plus facilitates remote diagnostics, with vast cost savings by reducing the need for onsite visits. The Ether232Plus also allows for data and diagnostics to be handled simultaneously, in real-time.
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Conclusion |
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The Ether232Plus is a network-enabling device, which seamlessly migrates older, serial equipment to a LAN/WAN using TCP/IP.
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Responding to simple configuration commands, the Ether232Plus swiftly incorporates any number of serial devices onto a company's IP network, while enhancing their functionality. Its compact design ensures simple installation. The Ether232Plus is adaptable to current and future networks. What was once stand-alone is now a part of your network, accessible from a central PC.
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| Contact Precidia |
150 Katimavik Road
Suite 1000
Ottawa, Ontario
K2L 2N2, Canada
Tel: 613.592.7557
Fax: 613.482.5770 |
info@precidia.com  |
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