Technology Opportunities Program Sample
Program Guidance:
Project Purpose
1) Problem(s) to be addressed
2) The Proposed Solution
3) The Anticipated Outcomes of the Project
Innovation
You should clearly state how your project complements and builds on prior
work and what you expect others in the field to learn from your efforts.
Community Involvement
Evidence that communities involved support project and will participate in its
development.
NARRATIVE STATEMENT
Project Purpose
1)
Problem(s) to be addressed
To address the need for improved emergency response services for our
community, the [City Name] Police and Fire Departments seek to implement a
new computer-aided dispatch system for our newly consolidated dispatch center.
Our existing system, implemented in 19XX, does not provide much-needed
response features and is not integrated with our departments’ respective records
management systems, which contributes to inefficiency, data inaccuracy, and
inadequate data sharing capabilities. These challenges slow emergency
responses times to persons in need, and threaten civilian and responder safety.
Among the specific challenges our personnel face with the existing system are:
 System requires redundant data entry, which causes data inaccuracy and
slows productivity;
 Inability to adequately and quickly search on system data, which means
dispatchers cannot provide responders with hazard alerts on persons (e.g.
active wants and warrants) or premises (hazardous materials);
 Inability to store and quickly access information on personnel and
equipment availability, including personnel with special skills and
certifications;
 Lack of integration among varied applications and the inability to link
critical data, which inhibits sharing of mission-critical information both
within departments and with external agencies;


Inability to accurately pinpoint the location of 911 calls from cellular
phones;
Inadequate statistical reporting capabilities.
Our existing system has not evolved to meet our growing needs and cannot be
upgraded. Incident data received by dispatch and other agencies must be
manually re-entered into our departments’ records systems, which increases
incident response time and increases the possibility of introducing errors into the
system. When responding to incidents, lack of tandem access to information
hampers communication between cooperating responders, slows response
times, and endangers both civilians and responders. One of the lessons learned
from the events of September 11th, is that all first responders need simultaneous
access to accurate, real-time information. Survival and disaster mitigation
depend on coordinated action and constant awareness of changing conditions.
During an emergency call for service, dispatchers must have immediate access
to resource, location, and situational information and must be able to transfer that
information to responders without delay. The increasing use of cellular phones
enables civilians to call for help from multiple locations, but in many cases
response agencies such as ours are unable to track those locations. Many
callers are unable to give a call taker an accurate location, either because they
are unfamiliar with their whereabouts or they are unable to convey the
information. Our dispatch center desperately needs the appropriate technology to
track cellular calls for service and ensure that the appropriate responder is
dispatched to the emergency as quickly as possible.
2)
The Proposed Solution
Improved, commercial off-the-shelf computer-aided dispatch systems are
available that address the problems outlined in the previous section. The
systems use centralized, relational database technology, along with open, XMLbased architecture, to prevent redundant data entry, provide efficient data search
and retrieval features and seamless integration, and provide real-time sharing for
information between disparate, outside systems. In addition, development in
wireless technology offer mobile solutions that provide field responders with
immediate access to information, which further reduces responses times and
alleviates congested radio traffic.
Our proposed solution is the implementation of a computer-aided dispatch
system, which provides the ability to accurately receive and track calls for
service, provides pre-planned unit recommendations and response tactics,
accurately logs all system transactions and provides call histories and statistics,
provides real-time mapping for both landline and cellular calls for service,
provides comprehensive search capabilities of existing system data, is fully
integrated with mobile in-vehicle computers, and enables query access to state
and national databases.
3)
The Anticipated Outcomes of the Project
With the implementation of our proposed project, we anticipate the following
outcomes:
 Response times for calls for service will decrease. Our proposed software
system provides the ability to track and measure response times in a
variety of formats, which will enable use to conduct analyses throughout
our project.
 Fewer mistakes in dispatching a responder to the accurate location.
Because of our inability to track the location of 911 cellular calls, we are
not always accurate in dispatching the closest responder to the call and
sometimes responders are hampered in finding the emergency scene.
 Increased civilian and responder safety. Our dispatchers will have access
to active alerts on persons and addresses, and can warn responders of
potential hazards at specific locations.
 Improved statistical reporting capabilities. The proposed system will
provide tracking and access to a broader range of collected data, which
will provide more accurate reports and analyses of accident and crime
trends, and promote improved planning and resource management.
 Improved data sharing capabilities. The proposed system will build upon
longstanding collaborative efforts between the police and fire departments,
other community organizations, and neighboring local and state agencies,
to protect life and critical infrastructure, promote interoperability and
information exchange, and maximize scarce resources.
 Increased productivity. The proposed system will free personnel from
cumbersome data re-entry tasks, and enable better use of personnel and
equipment resources.
Innovation
Our proposed solution employs field-proven technology available from several
well-established public safety system vendors. Currently, the biggest obstacle to
the implementation of such solutions by local agencies is not technology, but
money. Longstanding collaborative efforts among local public safety agencies,
accelerated by recent federal and state homeland security strategies and
mandates, underscore the realization that public safety and homeland security
depend upon shared access to accurate, real-time information.
Current technologies are dissolving barriers between disparate systems and
providing interoperable solutions that enable local agencies to access and
exchange valuable information. By implementing a new computer-aided dispatch
system, our departments can work together more effectively and share their
information with other agencies throughout our state and beyond. To prevent
crime and protect citizens, local agencies must have the ability to share and
compare seemingly unrelated incidents and catch a glimpse of the broader
picture. Our proposed project will not only improve our local crime prevention and
disaster mitigation efforts, but will allow us to contribute to broader, national
efforts to identify crime trends and promote domestic security.
At the local level, our proposed project will ensure greater public safety, by
enabling us to respond more effectively to those who depend on us for
emergency services. Time saved is lives saved. Every minute we can shave off
response times and every action we can take to improve the accuracy of our
services will mean invaluable benefits to those entrusted to our care.
Community Involvement
Our residents take great pride in our community, generous in their support of our
city’s first responders, and highly motivated to promote efforts that ensure public
safety and homeland security. While our agency does not have the funding to
complete the entire proposed project, our city council has pledged the fifty
percent matching funds to enable a successful and complete implementation with
a grant award.
As we implement the proposed system, we will enlist assistance from community
service groups in helping us test the new system and ensuring that the computeraided mapping solution is prepared to accurately track the location of cellular
calls for service. We view the testing period as a valuable opportunity to involve
the community in public safety and educate them about the proper use of 911
and the coordinated efforts among our city’s departments in provide emergency
response services.