On-Demand Webinar: Best Practices When Procuring and Implementing a CAD System

MCP subject-matter experts Jack Dougherty and Bob Scott present strategies for success and discuss common pitfalls in the public safety software acquisition process. They also share insights regarding the current trends in hosted and browser-based solutions and prevalent implementation challenges after contract signing.

On-Demand Webinar: How to Leverage Radio System Management as a Service.

Once a new or upgraded radio system, siren system or distributed antenna system is operational, it must be managed and maintained. This requires a considerable time investment and an equally considerable amount of expertise and experience. This webinar will examine how radio system management as a service can ease the burden.

MCP's Support Helps Story County, Iowa Replace Obsolete Radio System

Story County's new temporary radio system has improved coverage, capacity, and reliability for users.

MCP's Helps Manatee County, FL Replace Aging AV System

In Summary:

• Manatee County's audiovisual system that served the county’s public safety complex was experiencing significant issues concerning reliability, lack of flexibility and difficult-to-view screens.
• The county partnered with Mission Critical Partners to provide subject-matter expertise and to guide and support the procurement process.
• The new system is extremely flexible, even allowing users working remotely to access it, which has been an important benefit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

Manatee County is located along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It is bordered by the cities of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg to the north, Hardee and DeSoto counties to the east, the city of Sarasota to the south, and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. 

Episode 4: Solid Governance Strategies that Deliver Results

MCP's informational podcast series features the firm’s subject-matter experts and other industry leaders exploring a wide range of timely topics pertaining to mission-critical communications.

The fourth episode on the MCP Podcast Network is entitled “Solid Governance Strategies that Deliver Results.” This episode explores best practices for a solid governance strategy.

An edited transcript is available below.

Panelists include:

• Nancy Pollock, MCP senior consultant, applies her in-depth knowledge of public-safety communications, legislative, governance, policy, operations, and technology developed over her 35-year career to client engagements.
• Karyn Henry, J.D., an MCP communications consultant that brings years of wireless and telecommunications group leadership towards legal and regulatory initiatives. She brings policies and procedures expertise to MCP projects to develop for innovative solutions.
• The episode is moderated by Glenn Bischoff, MCP content specialist and former editor of Urgent Communications and Fire Chief magazines.

MCP's Support of Iowa CJIS Helps to Make the Program 'Irreplaceable'

In Summary

• The State of Iowa Criminal Justice Information System (Iowa CJIS) is a system of systems designed to enable the integration and sharing of information between the state’s criminal justice organizations, seamlessly and securely, in real time.
• URL Integration, who became part of Mission Critical Partners in 2020, built the Iowa CJIS from the ground up and today, continue to support the program, which is providing incalculable benefits
• The program has increased the amount of information being shared across the state’s criminal-justice community and has improved the data of accuracy being sent, among other benefits

MCP Gives Lower Rio Grande Development Council Peace of Mind About Its Communications Network

In Summary:

• The Lower Rio Grande Development Council, which is a voluntary association of local governments formed under Texas law as one of the state's 24 regional councils of governments (COGs), serves the region's counties by delivering 911 emergency calls to 18 emergency communications centers (ECCs).
• They operate a Internet Protocol (IP)-based network is generally more vulnerable to outages compared to legacy networks and systems.
• The Council turned to Mission Critical Partners in 2019 to help diminish the risk of network/system failures and keep the 911 network and its supporting systems operating optimally by providing network management and monitoring services.

Background: 

Tips for Improving Building Health and Safety

In Summary:

• As the COVID-19 pandemic has caused organizations across the country, including public safety agencies, to to revise policies and change the way they do business in order to protect staff members and the community
• The current public health crisis shines a light on the need for public safety agencies to plan and prepare for contagion or widespread illness as part of the continuity-of-operations planning process
• From small changes to operational policies, to large building design and development considerations, there are a number of actions agencies can take to protect personnel inside the facility

Maintaining Operations Remotely During a Public-Health Crisis

In Summary:

• As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, public safety, law enforcement and other mission-critical organizations need to prepare for the possibility of remote operations
• There are a number of options available to agencies for remote call-handling, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), and radio dispatch
• Which option makes the most sense for your agency to protect staff members from viral illnesses, like COVID-19, with minimal interruption to operations?

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.