Wireless Data Gives Fire/EMS Crews the Jump on First Response in the St. Louis Area

When lives are at stake, the reliability of emergency dispatch systems can have a profound influence on the outcome of critical situations. Fire and ambulance crews rely on dispatchers to get to the scene quickly and prepared. The challenge, for dispatch operators, is to ensure absolute, mission-critical reliability-that the right information gets to the fire or ambulance crew, immediately, anyplace and anytime.

In the complex environment of a large suburban Fire/EMS organization, keeping the lines of communications open can be a daunting task. "Our dispatchers are crucial to our operations," says Bob Watts, Director of the Department of Dispatch and Alarm for St. Charles County, Missouri. "For us, the challenge is to make sure our communications system gives our people the open lines they need to do their job."

St. Charles County Dispatch and Alarm handles emergency dispatch for 10 fire districts and one ambulance district in the St. Louis suburban area. "With nearly 160 vehicles across multiple departments, that adds up to a lot of traffic on the voice network," says Watts. To relieve the congestion, St. Charles County began looking at solutions to expand communications speed and capacity-and a wireless data solution fit the need.

Robust Technology Integrates with County's Infrastructure and Software

According to Watts, the idea of integrating wireless communications had been considered for several years. "The problem," he says, "was that the technology wasn't ready for what we needed." What St. Charles County managers sought was a system that would utilize the department's five-tower private wireless infrastructure and spectrum, and work with the county's existing data sources, particularly its mapping and location system.

"Working with TriTech software, we looked at a variety of equipment alternatives. One of the key assets we now have with TriTech is a sophisticated Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) function. The only manufacturer we found that would meet all of our expectations for working in an emergency dispatch environment was Dataradio. It was a very straightforward decision when we compared our options against our needs."

Wireless Data System Provides Solution for Eliminating Large Volumes of Voice Traffic

"One of our primary needs was for a solution that would eliminate some of the voice traffic on our system," says Watts. The reality is that every call generates a series of multiple responses and confirmations. "When a dispatcher sends an alarm, every responding unit would have to confirm by voice. If you have six or seven units responding to one alarm, that's a lot of traffic on the network," he explains.

According to Watts, a wireless data system provides significant advantages. First, it automates much of the response and confirmation activity associated with each call. "This alone can give us a tremendous reduction in voice traffic," he says. "But it also gives us the opportunity to provide mapping data directly to the units in the field."

For first responders, the ability to access mapping data can improve response times. "Today, only the dispatcher has access to the mapping data. He or she must then give directions to the field unit when needed. If a unit in the field can have direct access to that data, you not only eliminate the voice traffic, you also eliminate a layer of communication, and that speeds up the whole process."

Wireless System Fits Existing Infrastructure

In making their procurement decision, St. Charles County had to consider more than just the nuts-and-bolts of user operation. "Our department serves a lot of different organizations. In one case, there's the large fire department with a multi-million dollar budget. That department may need sophisticated terminals in their units. On the other end is the small volunteer fire department that may have a total budget of fifty thousand-not much, considering the equipment and upkeep involved. To help them both, you need an infrastructure that can accommodate different needs."

St. Charles County was fortunate in having a wireless infrastructure in place. Originally, however, the county only had one channel pair of 800 MHz frequency available. Ultimately, the county needed two more channels. This proved to be the main challenge in implementing the system. Today, the county has the three channels it needs to cover its users.

"Because we have our own system, we can stay in control of our wireless communications," says Watts, "and we can dictate the solutions we use. For example, our smaller departments have a more basic system that fits their budget and coverage needs. Meanwhile, the larger department that has more users and a bigger coverage area can implement the more sophisticated solution it needs. Everyone benefits."

Life or Death Necessity: Mission-Critical Reliability

Finally, Watts notes the reliability factor. "Having control of our system gives us peace of mind," he says. "We know that when we really need it, our system will be up and running, and the data will get through. Today, St. Charles is implementing wireless data solutions that reach out to 80 of approximately 160 units. According to Watts, users are excited about the system, especially when they get hands-on experience with the equipment. "This implementation is a long time coming," he says. "In the life or death situations we face, our wireless data system will improve our accuracy and job performance."