Office of the
County Executive
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Steve Levy
County Executive |
Kevin
Law
Chief Deputy
Paul Sabatino, II
Chief Deputy |
Press
Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug 22, 2005 |
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Suffolk County
Unveils New County-Wide Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD)
System for Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services |
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Suffolk
County Unveils New County-Wide Computer-Aided Dispatch
(CAD) System for Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services
County Executive Steve Levy Announces $3.2 Million
Automated System Has Been Installed On-Budget and Ahead
of Schedule
Yaphank, NY— Suffolk County's emergency call
center for fire and ambulance response has entered a new
age of technology with the implementation of a
Computer-Aided Dispatch emergency response system – a
state-of-the-art service which will improve the transfer
of emergency calls and increase the efficiency of
operations for the center which serves 109 volunteer
fire departments, 27 volunteer ambulance services and
eight county agencies.
"Every second counts when it comes to taking and
assessing a call for emergency help and handing it off
to the proper department," said Suffolk County Executive
Steve Levy. "Our new CAD system streamlines the process,
which had been handled manually, eliminates redundancies
and enhances the safety and protection of our
residents."
The CAD system allows the operator to take an incoming
call for service and immediately plot the caller on a
map, which includes cross streets and other pertinent
local data. The call taker uses the integrated
electronic software to ask questions and determine the
priority of the call, which is then sent electronically
to the radio or phone dispatcher to notify the
appropriate fire department or ambulance company.
The system includes a mobile data computing component
which will give field personnel in response units real
time mapping and immediate access to information about
the location they are responding to, including
underground piping, nearby hazardous materials or
building plans.
The $3.2 million system, funded through a New York State
Enhanced 911 grant and Suffolk County capital funds, was
installed on budget and ahead of schedule -- in less
than 180 days – by Intergraph Corp., of Alabama.
"Intergraph is pleased to partner with Suffolk County to
provide a system that is robust, yet flexible enough to
evolve as the County's public safety needs grow," said
Ben Eazzetta, Chief Operating Officer of Intergraph's
Security, Government & Infrastructure Division.
"Intergraph worked closely with the County to meet its
aggressive implementation goal. We're proud to have met
that goal because it means emergency personnel will have
the tools they need to rapidly and efficiently respond
to any crisis."
"These types of installations can typically take more
than a year, between installation, configuring, testing
and training," said Joseph Williams, Commissioner of the
Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency
Services. "Intergraph delivered the system in record
time, which is phenomenal when you consider the size of
the county and the number of departments and agencies we
work with."
The Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and
Emergency Services operates a county-wide fire rescue
dispatch center which is staffed by thirty-one emergency
services dispatchers, six shift supervisors, and one
chief of communications. All of the personnel are
certified in the Emergency Medical Dispatch program. The
center handles all 911 calls for fire or medical
services in the western five townships of the county as
well as direct dial numbers for fifty-seven fire
departments and seventeen ambulance companies.
In total, Suffolk County is served by 109 volunteer fire
departments and 27 volunteer ambulance corps, which
answered 155,406 emergency calls in 2004. Of these
calls, 45,044 were fire or related emergencies and
110,362 were emergency medical incidents. The Suffolk
County Fire Rescue Dispatch Center processed 30,034 of
the fire calls (66.7%) and 80,642 of the medical
emergencies (71.6%).
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