A Blueprint to Help Public Safety Organizations Understand Their Environments

 In Summary:

• For public safety officials, the task of monitoring and assessing the myriad technological and operational factors that determine the center's success or failure is a big, complicated and time-consuming job.

• Leaders need help understanding where their centers stand regarding factors such as cybersecurity, IT and networks, next generation 911 (NG911), staffing, and more.

• MCP's Model for Advancing Public Safety^SM, also known as MAPS^SM, is a proprietary assessment program that helps assess a program against standards, best practices, and the collective knowledge of MCP's 115+ specialized public safety professionals.

---

On-Demand Webinar: FirstNet Preparation Strategies

Are you ready for the delivery of your state's deployment plan of FirstNet?  

Listen to this virtual webinar to hear experts from MCP provide insights and guidance regardless of your status in the preparation for FirstNet. This is a can't miss session that will help you build your organization's FirstNet strategy. This session is designed for public safety leaders and FirstNet state single points of contacts.

In this webinar we will discuss:

• The state plan template from the FirstNet RFP and discuss the most releveant areas states should focus on
• The ideal team players from the state that should be involved in the evaluation process
• What you can expect from FirstNet in the coming months and how to respond

On-Demand Webinar: Mission-Critical Vendor Management 101

The average mission-critical agency oversees more than 30 different vendors responsible for various network systems and operations. Agencies are more dependent on vendors than ever before and, as result, their spend and risk continues to increase and their satisfaction continues to decrease. During this webinar, we discuss steps that can be taken to improve vendor performance and drive more value from your agency's vendor agreements.

Discussion topics include:

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.

Infographic: Network Management: 10 Facts Every PSAP Should Know

Most public safety organizations are unaware of every network, system, component and device used by their agency, and most do not maintain up-to-date inventories of their network and system infrastructure. MCP can maintain applications and keep networks secure, stable and running efficiently.

Infographic: The New Emergency Communications Ecosystem

The public safety sector has reached an inflection point. Technology has evolved dramatically, and the needs and the expectations of the public have evolved as well. What does the evolution of the emergency communications ecosystem look like?

Infographic: Tips for Evaluating Vendor Proposals

Evaluation of proposals and award of a project are not the last steps of the request for proposals process, but they are some of the most important. This infographic outlines tips to keep in mind as you prepare for evaluation and throughout the evaluation process.

 

How to Navigate the Complexities of Mission-Critical Vendor Management

In Summary:

• Today's average public safety agency has more than 30 vendor support agreements to manage.

• Vendor support agreements have become more difficult to understand given their size and complexity.

• Public safety organizations are looking for strategies to help navigate the complexities associated with today's increasingly complicated vendor environment.

---

It used to be much easier for public safety agencies to manage their vendors compared to a decade ago. At that time they were simple and easy to understand and they generally only involved the radio, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and 911 call-handling system providers.

10 Factors Every PSAP Needs to Consider When it Comes to Staffing the Next Generation Workforce

The Next Generation Workforce: 10 Factors Every PSAP Needs to Consider

There is a lot of change happening in 911 centers today, particularly as it relates to staffing and preparing for the modern public safety communications capabilities that come with text-to-911, Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems, and the availability of enhanced data. This quick read discusses the ten factors that every PSAP needs to consider when it comes to preparing for this transformation.

National Capital Region CAD2CAD Assessment

In Summary:

• A CAD2CAD initiative within the National Capital Region (NCR) had been successful in reducing response times, a lack of governance structure and no rules or regulations regarding growth kept the model from being sustainable long term.
• MCP helped the participating agencies lay out a detailed plan for the program's future.
• Today, the CAD2CAD program sees continued success following MCP's recommendations.

---

Overview and Agency Challenge

Participants in the National Capital Region CAD2CAD initiative include the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), which consists of Dulles International Airport, Reagan National Airport and the Dulles Toll Road. They looked to expand the CAD2CAD initiative and establish a clear vision and governance structure, as well as determine how to make the model sustainable long-term.

The Evolution of the Emergency Communications Ecosystem

In Summary:

• Emergency communications centers are not much different from what they were when they first appeared on the scene a half century ago.

• PSAPs need to jettison the legacy analog call-handling equipment that has existed for the last 50 years, and replace it with new equipment capable of processing calls and data that originates from digital devices.

• The evolution of the emergency communications ecosystem will result in PSAPs and telecommunicators that will look and behave very differently than they do today. 

---

The public safety sector and emergency communications has reached an inflection point. Technology has evolved dramatically, and the needs and expectations of the public served by PSAPs have evolved as well. Data has overtaken voice in terms of importance. As a result, PSAPs need systems that are capable of leveraging the enormous amount of data is that already available, yet inaccessible today. Legacy call-handling equipment equipment that has existed for the last 50 years needs to be replaced with new equipment capable of processing calls and data originating from digital, Internet-Protocol (IP)-based devices.

Workforce Optimization: A Smarter Solution to Resolving 911's Staffing Struggle

In Summary:

• Staffing struggles have plagued public safety communications for years, and the situation is worsening because of favorable economic conditions that bring an abundance of less-stressful, better paying jobs.

• Workforce optimization is the concept of taking a more holistic approach to staffing that places equal emphasis on recruitment, hiring, training, and retention.

• The profile of the ideal telecommunicator is evolving. The next generation telecommunicator will process different skills than they do today.

---

Several years ago, the National 911 Program released the Recommended Minimum Training Guidelines for the 911 Telecommunicator. The document was intended to ensure that a more consistent standard of care was provided by 911 call-takers and dispatchers to callers requesting emergency services, regardless of their location at the time of the call. A corollary benefit of the guidelines is that they might help reduce the amount of personnel churn that emergency communications centers (ECCs) experience.