Rutgers University selects InterAct Public Safety Systems to respond quickly to emergency situations

(06/06/2006)

InterAct Public Safety Systems has announced that Rutgers University in New Jersey has chosen its entire suite of products, including Computer-Aided Dispatch(CAD), Records Management Solutions (RMS), and Mobile Solutions to enhance the efficiency of its dispatchers, police officers, and emergency services personnel. These integrated products will allow the University to respond quickly and appropriately to emergency situations.

Communications Officers found that the University's previous system was inadequate in addressing the need to retrieve appropriate reports and to capture critical information such as safety policies and procedures and building diagrams. Critical moments of response time were lost during alarm activations, as dispatchers had to refer to a paper manual to identify the alarm code and often had to operate separate systems.

InterAct CAD software will provide university communications officers with clear guidance in receiving and managing emergency calls. Rutgers Division of Public Safety plans to use this telecommunications aid to record incident details and updates, prioritize events and identify the most appropriate response for each incident. Its automatic vehicle locator and mapping functions will save time in mission critical operations. In addition, integration between the CAD and RMS software will eliminate the need for redundant entries.

Additionally, InterAct's CAD system is designed to help speed response times of police and emergency personnel by pinpointing the exact location of 9-1-1 callers. Unlike traditional 9-1-1 trunking systems, which can only identify what dorm building a caller is in, InterAct can integrate with local ALI databases so that dispatchers will be able to identify the caller's specific room and floor number, helping officers or emergency responders get to the scene faster.

The implementation will also improve officer safety. InterAct will enable Communications Officers to more easily access information on individuals, locations, and vehicles, including any past offenses and events. Dispatchers will be able to instantly relay this information to the responding officers so they know what to expect when they arrive on the scene.

The software will provide automatic monitoring of events to track the progress of responding units in real-time. This monitoring will occur automatically; as soon as an officer is dispatched, a timer will begin to track the incident and remind the dispatcher to check back with the officer via radio or touch screen after a specified time period.

InterAct's mobile field reporting system was designed to eliminate the downtime that was previously necessary for completing incident reports. Instead of radioing to the dispatch center or spending time filling out paper reports, officers will be able to transmit their reports right from their vehicle via a private secure network back to the shift commander. This will ultimately minimize officer downtime, and keep the radio channel open for emergency situations. Prompt completion of reports will also help Rutgers ensure timely submissions of incidents to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and comply with Clery, NIBRS and UCR reporting guidelines and requirements.

“We continually seek ways to enhance the quality of life for our students and faculty members,” said Jay Kohl, Executive Director of Public Safety from Rutgers University. “InterAct will have a profound impact on our ability to respond in the most effective manner to any on-campus security need. We’re very impressed with the care and quality that has clearly gone into the development of these products.”

“Safety is of utmost concern for all of the men and women who serve as members of the police, security and emergency services departments at Rutgers,” said Andrew “Flip” Filipowski, executive chairman and CEO of InterAct Public Safety Systems. “We’re very proud that they have chosen InterAct to further their mission of ensuring a safe and secure community.”

Related topics:  Alarm systems   Fire, Health & Safety   Remote Monitoring and Surveillance   Security market sectors 

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