MCP Podcast Network Episode 8: Alternative Policy Response

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.

On this episode of MCP Podcast Network is entitled “Alternative Response Strategies for 911 Centers." This episode features  Executive Director for Northwest Central Dispatch System in Arlington Heights, Illinois, John Ferraro, and Mission Critical Partners' Operations Manager, Bonnie Maney, for an engaging discussion on how public sector organizations are evolving and how the transformation will result in improved outcomes in the communities they serve.

On-Demand Webinar: Strategic Planning Webinar

In today’s evolving environment, public safety and justice agencies are continually expected to do more with less. This reality means that strategic planning, and determining how best to leverage the resources available, is more crucial than ever before. During this webinar, MCP subject-matter experts Chris Kelly and Bonnie Maney will present the importance of strategic planning for public-sector organizations and how to develop your plan.

Infographic: Introduction to Cloud Deployments for Public Safety and Justice Agencies

Cloud-based solutions offer some impressive benefits. Numerous innovations are being offered to enhance public safety and justice agency operations. Some agencies, however, may feel hesitant to adopt these due to a lack of familiarity. In this infographic, we introduce the varying types of cloud environments available today and explore the considerations associated with model.

MCP Podcast Network Episode 7: Future of 911

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 seventh episode on the MCP Podcast Network is entitled “Future of 911." This episode features the National 911 Program's director, Laurie Flaherty, and Mission Critical Partners' president, John Chiaramonte, for an engaging discussion on the most significant achievements in the 911 sector, the state of 911 communications, and the future of 911 service in the United States.

On-Demand Webinar: Implementing and Supporting Your Applications in the Cloud

Numerous innovations are being offered to enhance law enforcement operations. Some agencies however may feel hesitant adapting these due to lack of familiarity – sometimes on the technology but more often the intricacies involved with the specifications of the product, the process involved in acquiring the product, and working with the tech providers. This webinar aims to unpack the nuances when it comes to implementing and supporting law enforcement applications in the cloud.

MCP Provides Expertise to Lubbock, TX ECD

Today the district has a new emergency services Internet Protocol network (ESInet), new hosted 911 call-routing and call-handling capabilities, and more.

MCP Helps NCT911 Improve Its Crisis Communications

MCP and NCT911 partnered to develop an enhanced crisis communications plan to better prepare the organization to respond to crises.

Whitepaper: ESInet Deployment: Unlocking the Power of the ESInet

In Summary: 

• This whitepaper examines the advantages and the disadvantages of three approaches to provisioning an emergency services Internet protocol network—which not only provides the foundation of a Next Generation 911 system, but also performs other important functions.
• Three ways exist to implement an ESInet: contract with a commercial entity or self-provision. A third model is a hybrid ESInet model.
• The path an agency uses can take two very different tasks, and each has its unique advantages and disadvantages. The path an agency chooses will depend heavily on its financial and IT resources, whether it can be coalesce regional support, and the level of commitment it can and is willing to lend to the project.

Background 

Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems represent a quantum leap forward for the public-safety community and the citizens that it serves. Internet Protocol (IP)-based and broadband-enabled, such systems are capable of considerably more than legacy 911 systems—which is why many emergency communications centers (ECCs) from coast to coast are clamoring to implement them.

Client Success Story: Tennessee Emergency Communications Board

In Summary

• The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) provides management and operations support to Tennessee's 100 emergency communications districts (ECDs), which in turn provide emergency communications services to the state's citizens and visitors via 119 primary and 24 secondary or backup emergency communications centers.
• Because of cybersecurity threats, the TECB decided that it needed a baseline security and cybersecurity assessment of Tennessee's 911 environment, and the Board partnered with Mission Critical Partners to conduct the assessment.
• As part of the project, each ECC received a report that identified and prioritized the risks associated with its unique 911 network and system environment, as well as strategies and tactics that each ECC could use to improve its physical security and cybersecurity posture.

Background

The TECB is transitioning to a statewide emergency services Internet Protocol (IP) network (ESInet) that will provide the transport architecture necessary to deliver 911 calls to Next Generation 911 (NG911)-compliant ECCs. NG911 is an advanced broadband communications system that enables the transmission of real-time text, images and video, in addition to voice, to help improve emergency response. 

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 Helps Region 13 Better Understand Its GIS Environment

In Summary:

• GIS-generated geospatial data will be used in the NG911 environment to ensure that emergency calls are routed to the appropriate emergency communications center (ECC) to dispatch the appropriate emergency response
• Today, Region 13 Task Force, a collaborative effort of 14 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, plus the city of Pittsburgh, manages a emergency services Internet Protocol (IP) network (ESInet). To continue their efforts towards a regionwide approach, the task force wanted the ability to share data between the counties
• Having the ability to access data regionally will go a long way toward eliminating gaps and overlaps along jurisdictional boundaries that negatively impact the abilty to dispatch the appropriate response to an emergency incident, amongst 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: