3 Challenges Affecting the Efficiency of Public Safety

When seconds count, barriers to the delivery of public safety services can result in inefficient response times, which could lead to dangerous outcomes. Unfortunately, as municipalities engage in a digital transformation of internal systems, they often find their efforts to serve citizens stymied by unforeseen issues. Not only can those issues be a threat to life and property, they can result in unexpected costs and other problems as public agencies attempt to address them.

Here are three of the top challenges affecting the efficiency of public safety, and some advice on addressing those challenges.

1: Average Police Response Time Declines Due to Lack of System Interoperability

The impact on average law enforcement response time caused by a lack of system interoperability occurs daily in public safety incidents, but was specifically apparent during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City. Critical information failed to reach those who needed it, and the inability of firefighters to hear warnings issued by the city’s police department was accounted for as a reason for more lives lost.

Although there have been efforts to address the issue of interoperability, public safety agencies often continue to rely on a patchwork of technologies that make it difficult, if not impossible, for different agencies to communicate with each other. The result is that response times can be affected, increasing the potential for negative outcomes. Barriers to interoperability include radio systems of one agency that operate on different frequencies than sister agencies and software solutions that don’t communicate with each other. Additionally, many of these systems lack Internet connectivity, making it impossible to access information such as floor plans or MSDS data sheets.

2: Multiple Softwares Instead of Full-Scale Integrated Software

Although most public safety agencies have moved to software-based solutions for many of their processes, unless those solutions speak to each other many of the efficiencies those solutions promise are lost. A residential database, for example, is a great way to track addresses and street layouts, but having to transfer information by hand into another software application can be time-consuming and frustrating

Fortunately, some public safety solution providers are offering multiple public safety software applications in a single suite, meaning each application communicates with others quickly and easily.

CentralSquare’s Public Safety Suite Pro, for example, is the world’s first plug-and-play public safety suite, with integrated software that provides everything from 911 services to computer-aided dispatch, records management systems, mobile applications and jail management all in one place. Taking it a step further, CentralSquare’s Enterprise Suite helps accelerate response with shared information across jurisdictions, with features including integrated mobile public safety apps and wearables.

And both solutions provide analytics that identify trends and patterns to help allocate resources and can access a national database to support investigations.

3. Outdated Systems and Software

Technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate, and having outdated systems can put a community at risk for bad actors that can result in the loss of records and other critical information. Nearly every day brings another report of a public safety agency’s systems being held hostage by a ransomware attack.

Even without a deliberate attack, a major disaster can overwhelm outdated systems. And when a community grows, they often find that legacy systems aren’t scalable or can’t incorporate new features, meaning they’ll be required to scrap their existing system in favor of a new one that can handle an additional load.

CentralSquare’s cloud-based software solutions offer several advantages compared with traditional software. Having that software reside in the cloud helps increase the overall security of an agency’s systems and data, minimizing the risk of ransomware attacks. And because CentralSquare manages and updates the software regularly, communities always have the most current version.

How CentralSquare Can Help Improve Efficiencies in the Public Safety Sector

CentralSquare’s solutions effortlessly leverage data across a signal platform to allow seamless end-to-end operational effectiveness. The responder-focused solution ensures information is shared accurately to improve dispatch response and incident reporting times, prioritizing cross-agency collaboration.

Those solutions improve day-to-day operations for agencies, saving valuable time and reducing risks for first responders and their communities.

Want to know more about CentralSquare and the solutions we offer? Schedule a demo today. One of our experts will reach out to you shortly to see how CentralSquare can better help you serve your community