A Look Back at 2018

2018 was an exciting year in public safety and for Mission Critical Partners (MCP). We celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the first 911 call and learned more about how social media data can impact PSAP operations and emergency response now and into the future. Meanwhile, the conversation around location accuracy continued to grow louder and technology and system upgrades, cybersecurity and staffing struggles remained top-of-mind for those in agency and PSAP leadership roles.

In celebration of this milestone year, let’s take a look back at some of the hottest topics and most exciting announcements from 2018:

• 911’s History is Gratifying, but its Future is Thrilling – MCP’s Glenn Bischoff kicked off the celebration of 911’s 50^th anniversary with a look back at just how much the industry has changed since that first call was placed in Haleyville, AL, and the work that remains to evolve 911.
• Cautious Optimism Surrounds CTIA Announcement Regarding Improving 911 Location Accuracy – MCP’s director of innovation and integration, Dave Sehnert, explores what we still need to know about how and when wireless carriers will begin to roll out improved location accuracy solutions as part of their networks.
• Trends in Computer-Aided Dispatch Systems for 911 Centers – Bob Scott, MCP project manager and subject-matter expert, outlines the current technology trends in computer-aided dispatch (CAD) technology and systems and offers insights on what’s still to come as technology continues to evolve.
• Stop Thinking About “Staffing 911” and Start Thinking About Workforce Optimization – Bonnie Maney, MCP subject-matter expert and director of facilities and operations services, discusses the proverbial “thing under the bed” for PSAP officials and provides a fresh perspective on approaching recruitment, hiring, training and retention of PSAP staff.
• Mission Critical Partners and Egis Capital Partners Announce Partnership – In January MCP announced our partnership with Egis Capital Partners and outlined how this partnership could help drive the digital transformation of public safety communications.
• Leveraging Social Media Data in Charleston County, SC – MCP, in conjunction with representatives from Penn State University, RapidSOS and RapidDeploy executed a pilot project with the Charleston County Consolidated 911 Center that tested the impact of social media data on 911 operations and emergency response.
• Mission Critical Partners Achieves Milestone of Hiring 100^th Employee – MCP announces the hiring of our 100^th employee, making the firm the largest and most experienced team of independent, specialized individuals in the public safety sector.
• MCP + Athena: The Leading Provider of IT Services for Public Safety – In November MCP completed the acquisition of Athena Advanced Networks, enhancing our IT services offering and technology and systems expertise and providing added benefits to our clients.

As 2018 comes to a close, we look forward to the new and exciting advancements, technologies and growth opportunities that lie ahead for the industry as we continue to work to evolve 911 into 2019 and beyond. We hope you’ll come along for the ride.