Resources by Mission Critical Partners | Next Generation 911 Networks (5)

Public Safety Should Look Hard at Mission-Critical Push-to-Talk

In Summary:

Push-to-talk over celluar (PTTOC) and mission-critical push-to-talk MCPTT services are provisioned over broadband wireless services and replicate the walkie-talkie functionality of traditional land mobile radio (LMR) portable radios.
Through gateways, these services can be interfaced with LMR networks to allow audio to be transmitted from LMR channels to the broadband application, and vice versa.
They offer a good alternative for personnel who have no need for a digital radio on a daily basis but need to be provided situational awareness and coordinated incident command.

This whitepaper examines push-to-talk over celluar and mission-critical push-to-talk technology, explaining why they may be a better choice than LMR in some cases, and how they provide significantly more flexibility regarding application, device and network choices. The biggest benefit of MCPTT service is that it replicates the PTT functionality of traditional LMR systems on devices that are smaller, lighter and much less expensive than portable radios traditionally carried by first responders. Also examined are important factors to consider when deciding whether to implement the technology.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Land Mobile Radio, Wireless & Broadband, Consulting, White Papers

Infographic: The Possibilities of a Converged FirstNet and NG911 Public Safety System

See the possibilities of a converged FirstNet and NG911 public safety system with this infographic from Mission Critical Partners.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Wireless & Broadband, Public Safety Data, Infographics

Next Generation 911: A New World for PSAP Network Maintenance

In Summary:

Next Generation 911 will improve emergency response dramatically, but will bring challenges that require new approaches and skill sets.
Network and systems management will become considerably more complicated after an NG911 system has been implemented.
Many PSAPs lack the IT expertise to adequately monitor and protect and NG911 system.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Public Safety Technology, Cybersecurity, Network Management, IT and Network Support, White Papers

On-Demand Webinar: FirstNet and NG911 Convergence: The New Public Safety Communications Platform

Over the next 5-10 years, FirstNet will deploy the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). As a parallel process, emergency services IP networks will be built to provide interconnectivity between PSAPs to allow for deployment and utilization of Next Generation 911 (NG911) technologies by PSAPs across the nation. In this session, MCP examines the major issues involved with the transition to this new platform for public safety communications and provide a glimpse into what the emergency communications environment could look like in the next 10-20 years.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Wireless & Broadband, Consulting, Emergency Response Ecosystem, On-Demand Webinars

What's the Future of Land Mobile Radio in a FirstNet World?

In Summary:

Many public safety agencies have pondered whether the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), being implemented by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) will someday replace the land mobile radio systems that have traditionally provided mission-critical voice services.
Agencies should continue to invest in their LMR systems, even to the point of replacing them if necessary.
Government agencies should continue to track the progress of FirstNet, for the day will eventually come when the NPSBN has developed to the point that it is a viable alternative for LMR.

Many public safety communications officials are wondering if they should replace their land mobile radio (LMR) system now that FirstNet has become a reality. This whitepaper makes the case for why agencies shouldn’t abandon their plans to replace their LMR system.

Now that the public safety sector is contemplating the implementation of an IP-based network known as the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). Although this network was intended from the beginning to ramp up the public safety’s data capabilities in the field, a question was raised whether the NPSBN someday will replace the land mobile radio (LMR) systems that traditionally have provided mission-critical voice service.

The NPSBN eventually could one day satisfy all of public safety’s voice and data needs—the big question is when. Many public safety agencies have legacy LMR systems that are approaching end of life today, raising the question if they should burn up already limited financial resources on an LMR system that could obsolete in a few years. MCP recommends that public safety agencies not abandon the replacement of the LMR system for several reasons:

Talkaround still will be an issue.
System hardening still will be an issue.
Coverage and capacity concerns will note go away, and public safety agencies need to have complete visibility into their LMR systems regarding capacity requirements and how they are achieved.
User fees are expected to be much higher than today’s LMR systems.
Download this whitepaper on land mobile radio replacement to learn more

Download this whitepaper to read more about if, and why, agencies should not abandon an LMR replacement project in the foreseeable future.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Land Mobile Radio, Wireless & Broadband, Consulting, White Papers

MCP Provides Vendor Support Services in Cobb County, GA to Drive Service Excellence and Cost-Savings

In Summary:

Cobb County, Georgia public safety officials wanted to assure they were paying a fair price for support of their land mobile radio (LMR) system.
Working alongside MCP, they completed a fair market pricing assessment and data-driven analysis for the LMR system maintenance costs.
Armed with this information, the partnership was able to negotiate more favorable cost targets, enhanced system performance reports and significant savings on costs.

Overview and Agency Challenge

Looking to lower expenses without sacrificing support, Cobb County, Georgia, began exploring the possibilities of renegotiating their Project 25 (P25) land mobile radio system maintenance agreement with the vendor. They wanted to better understand the services, terms and conditions, and the associated costs included with the maintenance contract. With limited knowledge of how their fees compared to similar-sized systems in the public safety sector, they sought assurance they were paying a fair price for the support provided.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Land Mobile Radio, Vendor Management, IT and Network Support, Case Studies

The Technical Evolution of the PSAP in a NG911 and Public Safety Broadband Environment

In Summary:

Data inputs that stream into a public safety answering point (PSAP) are increasing significantly, driven by the fact that public safety broadband and next generation 911 systems are Internet Protocol (IP)-based.
This will raise situational awareness in the PSAP to levels unimaginable only a short time ago.
Public safety broadband and NG911 must be converged for data to flow seamlessly between these two networks in order to be fully harnessed.

When public safety broadband networks, such as the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network being implemented under the auspices of the First Responder Network Authority, and Next Generation 911 (NG911) systems are implemented, responding to emergency events will be dramatically different than it is today for the public safety community. Today, the amount of information that telecommunicators and first responders have is severely limited. In the future, the data inputs that data inputs that stream into a public safety answering point (PSAP) are increasing significantly, driven by the fact that public safety broadband and next generation 911 systems are Internet Protocol (IP)-based.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Technology, Emergency Response Ecosystem, Public Safety Data, White Papers

The Nationwide NG911 Transition Requires State-Level Coordination and Vision

In Summary:

Today's legacy public safety communications systems are ill-suited to handle this increased data flow.
States that are making the most progress towards NG911 adoption share two main characteristics: strong statewide coordination and a statewide 911 strategic plan.
There are eight key areas that 911 state leaders should evaluate to identify potential deficiencies of a statewide 911 program.

Next Generation 911 (NG911) represents a significant leap forward for the emergency response sector primarily because it will deliver dramatically improved situational awareness to telecommunicators and field personnel. But the transition from legacy technology to NG911 is a difficult undertaking, especially when states try to go it alone. NG911 will require that state 911 authorities establish an effective leadership structure and then develop a comprehensive strategic plan to execute the migration.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Consulting, Emergency Response Ecosystem, White Papers

On-Demand Webinar: Strategies to Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks in Today's Emergency Communications Center

In today's increasingly IP-based network environment, some of the biggest threats facing 911 call centers are unplanned network or application disruptions. These outages can be caused by hardware or circuit failures—or worse a targeted cyber attack—and gaps in support agreements and slow vendor response times can increase their severity. As a result, troubleshooting falls on the shoulders of PSAP management.

In this on-demand webinar, we discuss how PSAP network management is changing and how agencies must adjust to alleviate their risk.

In this webinar, you'll learn:

Why PSAP leadership is becoming more involved and taking on more responsibility when it comes to supporting public safety infrastructure
The critical factors impacting network reliability and continuity of operations in the PSAP
Common mistakes that are made in PSAP network management, and how they can be avoided
Key strategies for reducing the risk of cyber attack

On-demand webinar length: 45 minutes

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Cybersecurity, Network Management, IT and Network Support, Public Safety Data, On-Demand Webinars

911 Operations: How Next Generation 911 and FirstNet Will Impact PSAPs

In Summary:

Together, Next Generation 911 and the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network will enhance the role of PSAPs exponentially.
While exciting, this also creates uncertainty as these new networks collectively will unlease a torrent of information and data that must be processed.
PSAPs will need to undergo profound operational and policy changes.

The NPSBN and NG911 will generate new forms of data communications that will enable telecommunicators to make better-informed decisions when dispatching first responders. This whitepaper discusses the profound operational changes that 911 centers will need to make in order to take advantage of the new capabilities.

Because the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) and Next Generation 911 (NG911) are both Internet Protocol-based, broadband-enabled platforms, they will generate new forms of data communications that will flow into PSAPs and improve situational awareness dramatically. However, telecommunicator jobs are already stressful. These stresses will rise quickly if PSAPs are not well-positioned to handle the enormous amounts of data that will be available in the future. Instead, PSAPs need to make a number of major operational changes. This whitepaper discusses those operational changes, which include:

Data-analytics systems
Data storage
Modern, state-of-the-art communications systems
Bolstered telecommunicator support programs
Enhanced workplace training

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Public Safety Technology, Wireless & Broadband, Consulting, Workforce Optimization, Public Safety Data, White Papers

MCP Lends Expertise to Implement and Manage Automatic License Plate Reader System in Southeastern PA

Automatic License Plate Reader System Plays a Key Role in Criminal Investigations Across the Region, Making it a Safer Place

In Summary:

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPARTF)–which serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan region–received a UASI grant to implement an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system that would support public safety agencies throughout the region. They needed an expert partner to turn their ALPR vision into a reality and maximize their ALPR system investment.
MCP acted as a program manager for the initiative and led deployment efforts for 130 ALPR tag-reading units throughout the region.
More than 41 million tags are scanned annually, and numerous examples of how the PALPRN has played a role positively impacting key criminal investigations across the region.

Overview and Agency Challenge

In 2014, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force (SEPARTF)—which serves the Greater Philadelphia metropolitan region—received a UASI grant to implement an automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system that would support public safety agencies throughout the region. These systems typically cost upwards of $16K to procure, and install, per vehicle. And, to make an automatic license plate reader system successful, a number of ancillary factors must be consider including

implementing servers, and securing and maintaining massive amounts of data
data integration and analysis from numerous hotlists
training of first responders and 911 telecommunicators on how to leverage the technology.

SEPARTF knew that in order to take advantage of the enormous upside offered by an ALPR system, they needed an expert partner to turn their vision into their reality and maximize the return on their automatic license plate system investment.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Public Safety Technology, Consulting, IT and Network Support, Case Studies, Shared Services / Consolidation

Next Generation 911: A Mission-Critical Transformation for Today's 911 System

In Summary:

Public safety communications is beginning to implement modern solutions to improve outcomes for 911 callers.
Next gen 911 is a standards-based, all IP emergency communications infrastructure that enables voice and multimedia 911 communications.
Failing to implement NG911 in a timely manner will increase costs, risk incompatibility with emerging communication trends and increase security risk for the 911 community.

Today, access to 911 for most is limited to a voice call; in contrast, Next Gen 911 will enable the ability to transmit photos, videos and other existing and future forms of broadband-enabled data, in addition to voice, to 911 professionals. A coordinated approach must be adopted in the transition to Next Gen 911 to avoid a patchwork deployment and limited interoperability with neighboring agencies.

Topics: Next Generation 911 Networks, Consulting, Emergency Response Ecosystem, White Papers

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In Summary:

Push-to-talk over celluar (PTTOC) and mission-critical push-to-talk MCPTT services are provisioned over broadband wireless services and replicate the walkie-talkie functionality of traditional land mobile radio (LMR) portable radios.

Through gateways, these services can be interfaced with LMR networks to allow audio to be transmitted from LMR channels to the broadband application, and vice versa.

They offer a good alternative for personnel who have no need for a digital radio on a daily basis but need to be provided situational awareness and coordinated incident command.

In Summary:

Next Generation 911 will improve emergency response dramatically, but will bring challenges that require new approaches and skill sets.

Network and systems management will become considerably more complicated after an NG911 system has been implemented.

Many PSAPs lack the IT expertise to adequately monitor and protect and NG911 system.

In Summary:

Many public safety agencies have pondered whether the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN), being implemented by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) will someday replace the land mobile radio systems that have traditionally provided mission-critical voice services.

Agencies should continue to invest in their LMR systems, even to the point of replacing them if necessary.

Government agencies should continue to track the progress of FirstNet, for the day will eventually come when the NPSBN has developed to the point that it is a viable alternative for LMR.

Download this whitepaper to read more about if, and why, agencies should not abandon an LMR replacement project in the foreseeable future.

In Summary:

Cobb County, Georgia public safety officials wanted to assure they were paying a fair price for support of their land mobile radio (LMR) system.

Working alongside MCP, they completed a fair market pricing assessment and data-driven analysis for the LMR system maintenance costs.

Armed with this information, the partnership was able to negotiate more favorable cost targets, enhanced system performance reports and significant savings on costs.

Overview and Agency Challenge

In Summary:

Data inputs that stream into a public safety answering point (PSAP) are increasing significantly, driven by the fact that public safety broadband and next generation 911 systems are Internet Protocol (IP)-based.

This will raise situational awareness in the PSAP to levels unimaginable only a short time ago.

Public safety broadband and NG911 must be converged for data to flow seamlessly between these two networks in order to be fully harnessed.

In Summary:

Today's legacy public safety communications systems are ill-suited to handle this increased data flow.

States that are making the most progress towards NG911 adoption share two main characteristics: strong statewide coordination and a statewide 911 strategic plan.

There are eight key areas that 911 state leaders should evaluate to identify potential deficiencies of a statewide 911 program.

In Summary:

Together, Next Generation 911 and the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network will enhance the role of PSAPs exponentially.

While exciting, this also creates uncertainty as these new networks collectively will unlease a torrent of information and data that must be processed.

PSAPs will need to undergo profound operational and policy changes.

Automatic License Plate Reader System Plays a Key Role in Criminal Investigations Across the Region, Making it a Safer Place

In Summary:

MCP acted as a program manager for the initiative and led deployment efforts for 130 ALPR tag-reading units throughout the region.

More than 41 million tags are scanned annually, and numerous examples of how the PALPRN has played a role positively impacting key criminal investigations across the region.

Overview and Agency Challenge

In Summary:

Public safety communications is beginning to implement modern solutions to improve outcomes for 911 callers.

Next gen 911 is a standards-based, all IP emergency communications infrastructure that enables voice and multimedia 911 communications.

Failing to implement NG911 in a timely manner will increase costs, risk incompatibility with emerging communication trends and increase security risk for the 911 community.

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