Owensboro-Daviess County Dispatch has traded in the old tech for a new dispatch feature that should shorten arrival times for all first responders.
The new system uses a computer-generated voice to dispatch pertinent information such as an address, cross street or the name of a business to first responders while the dispatcher remains on the line with the caller.
“So while the call taker is getting information from the caller such as giving CPR instructions or getting more information on officer safety,” said Paul Nave, city-county 911 director. “We don’t have to dispatch and do that. They can solely focus on the caller and get the call out more efficiently, when (before) we would have to do both of those.”
Nave said this new system alleviates some of that prioritization process so that way crews are already en route to the scene or fire while the dispatcher continues to gather more information.
“It’s state-of-the-art technology that we’ve implemented that’s truly making a difference with our first responders,” Nave said. “The ultimate goal is to shave seconds off of a call. So if we can shave 10, 15, 20, 30 seconds off of a call, then it’s priceless.”
Nave said aside from some expected speech adjustments to the automated voice dispatch, the transition has progressed well since the system went online last week.
Nave said the “text-to-speech” feature integrates with the department’s computer-aided dispatch system and is part of a larger technology upgrade taking place in the next 12 to 15 months.
He said technology can be overwhelming so all upgrades to CAD will be implemented in bits and pieces as to not overwhelm the staff.
“It’s becoming a de facto standard across the United States with larger agencies such as ours utilizing technology to reinforce the expediency of getting the call out to first responders,” Nave said. “This is the crux of the whole implementation.”
