CAD-to-CAD Services Cut Response Times
September 29, 2020 by Kate Nadolski
Working together has taken dispatchers and law enforcement officers in Greene County, New York, to a new level of collaborative policing.
Greene County shares a border with Ulster County. Both share a mountainous terrain that’s popular for hiking, and it’s an area that’s been known for cell phone reception issues. Deputy Director of Emergency Services for Greene County Randy Ormerod said it can create a challenge when residents in those dead zones try to contact emergency services.
“Cell phone service is not always that good, especially in the southwestern area of Greene County,” said Ormerod. “Sometimes if Ulster was to pass us a call that originated in the southwest part of our county, we would lose it just because of the cell phone connectivity.”
In 2020, Greene County upgraded its computer aided dispatch (CAD) system so it could seamlessly connect to their neighbors in Ulster County. This allowed both counties to instantly share mission-critical data as situations unfold.
Greene County 911 Systems Administrator Neil Kellegher said the implementation has helped to solve lots of problems, especially with calls coming in from remote areas, such as the county’s numerous trails.
“Sometimes when a call comes in that was made and received in Ulster regarding someone who has fallen on the trails and is in need of emergency services, the cell quality is really bad,” said Kellegher. “However, the interview is still started. This makes a huge difference as we’re able to at least start the interview without having to reconnect the caller."
Because the two counties have been working together, Kellegher said officers have been able to drastically reduce their response times.
“We’ve cut our response times in half,” said Kellegher. “The stress on the caller is dramatically reduced because we only have to ask all of the questions about the incident once instead of getting the caller back on the phone for a second time to verify the information to another county.”
The department said they’re satisfied to have another valuable tool in their toolbox, setting an example for their state.
“There were a lot of eyes on Greene and Ulster County with people truly wondering if we could pull this CAD-to-CAD functionality off,” said Kellegher. “I’m happy to say that it worked flawlessly.”