The Mission-Critical Resource Center

Implementing a Successful Public Safety Radio System Upgrade

In Summary:

• Every year, an estimated 240 million calls are received by 911 dispatchers across the United States. Once those calls are placed, the fast and accurate operation of two-way radio communications is essential to support the response. Often saving lives.
• As traditional technologies begin to reach end of life, it is critical that agencies take steps to implement new technologies to enhance their current emergency response operations.
• The process for upgrading or replacing an existing land mobile radio (LMR) system can seem daunting, but it does not have to be.

Developing an RFP for Your Radio System Upgrade or Replacement

In Summary:

• A radio system upgrade or replacement project does not need to be daunting or overwhelming
• Obtaining a new system through the request for proposals (RFP) process allows agencies to select a best-of-breed solution, ultimately yielding better results
• Any RFP should have the same standard elements, but not customizing your RFP to your project could result in proposals for unnecessary work, extra costs and, ultimately, a project that does not meet goals or expectations

On-Demand Webinar: Strategic Planning for Public Safety Agencies

In today’s evolving emergency communications environment, public safety agencies are often expected to do more with fewer resources–smaller budgets and fewer people. This reality means that strategic planning, and determining how best to leverage the available resources, is more crucial than ever before. In this webinar, MCP subject-matter experts Chris Kelly and Bonnie Maney discuss the benefits of strategic planning for public safety agencies and different approaches to development.

On-Demand Webinar: The Aging PSAP - Making the Case for a New Facility

Public safety answering points (PSAPs) and emergency operations centers (EOCs) must provide security and peace of mind for the communities and first responders they serve. Unfortunately, many of today’s mission-critical facilities are aging, unable to accommodate the needs of growing communities and outfitted with technology that is reaching end-of-life. With limited budgets and resources, how do agencies and public safety leaders make the case for a facility upgrade?

On-Demand Webinar: Integrating Broadband & NG911 Into ECCs

As public safety continues to move toward the implementation of next generation 911 (NG911) and public safety broadband networks, like FirstNet from AT&T, agencies need to seriously consider the implications of these new technologies for the emergency communications center (ECC). More importantly, agencies need to understand how the two will work together and why interoperability of these technologies is crucial to successfully improving emergency response.

This on-demand webinar discusses how public safety broadband networks and NG911 need to work together and the operational impact these technologies will have on the ECC.

Improving Emergency Response & Employee Wellness in Iredell County

In Summary:

• Emergency services in Iredell County, N.C., were faced with disparate, small facilities, aging technology and less-than-ideal working conditions.
• To overcome these challenges, the County made the decision to pursue a new facility that would house the emergency communications center, Emergency Management/Fire Services department, Iredell County Emergency Medical Services and the the Statesville EMS base under one roof, in a state-of-the-art facility.
• Today, the new Iredell County Emergency Communications Center is part of a larger complex that houses additional county agencies and departments, allowing for increased collaboration within public safety and the County at large. The new facility also offers improved working conditions for more than 200 public safety employees.

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The Case for Push-to-Talk in Public Safety

In Summary:

• First responders have long depended on traditional land mobile radio (LMR) systems that feature public safety-grade radios and infrastructure.
• While commercial networks are typically not ideal for public safety use, as they can become overloaded during an emergency, commercial push-to-talk (PTT) technology could benefit public safety.

In this whitepaper we explore the pros and cons of commercial PTT technology for public safety, including the improvements to commercial PTT capabilities and the cost-efficiencies the technology offers for agencies. 

Regional Computer-Aided Dispatch Models

In Summary:

• For years, public safety communications systems have operated as standalone systems that are used to serve the citizens of a single geographic area.
• As communities have grown, the need for improved communication between dispatchers and first responders, and across jurisdictional lines, has increased. 
• Agencies across the country have begun to consider regional models for their computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and other public safety systems in order to improve efficiency, share resources with other agencies and reduce costs.

In this whitepaper, we explore two models of regional CAD systems and explore the pros and cons of each one. 

How Relocation of T-Band will Affect Public Safety

In Summary:

• Public safety licensees in some of the nation's top metropolitan areas that currently operate in the T-Band will need to transition their land mobile radio (LMR) systems before 2023.
• The FCC will reallocate this spectrum via auction as part of the enactment of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
• Agencies with LMR systems currently on the T-Band face considerable challenges in transition those systems in advance of the 2023 deadline.

This whitepaper discussed the challenges that agencies face during the transition from the T-Band, provides a transitional timeline and offers tips and information for making the transition.

On-Demand Webinar: Assessing Your Communications Networks and Leveraging the Results to Make Improvements

The strengths and weaknesses of your current public safety communications networks can be difficult to quantify and communicate to agency leaders and other officials. To support this effort, Mission Critical Partners launched the Model for Advancing Public Safety^SM, or MAPS^SM, an assessment tool designed to provide a visual representation of a network’s strengths and weaknesses. How can MAPS help your agency assess, quantify and communicate the current state of your communications network and how can the results be used to encourage decision-makers to make improvements?

On-Demand Webinar: Workforce Optimization

In public safety, staffing has become the proverbial “thing under the bed,” the one operational aspect that keeps PSAP leaders up at night. While personnel churn has always been a challenge in the industry, today it is exacerbated by a healthy economy, with many telecommunicators leaving for less stressful, better-paying jobs, and a shrinking candidate pool.

Infographic: Benefits of Working With a Public Safety Consulting Firm

From migrating to a new facility, acquiring forward-looking, mission-critical technology to integrating data originating from modern, digital-based devices, Mission Critical Partners is helping public safety organizations feel peace of mind and realize greater success during complex initiatives. Learn more about the benefits of working with a consultant in our infographic below.