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Home to the Mayo Clinic and a major development center for IBM, Olmsted County, Minnesota is no stranger to technological innovation. The county also boasts one of the most technologically forward-looking public safety organizations in the U.S.
"We always push the envelope," says Tim Heroff, a police lieutenant in Rochester, the county seat. "Our technology gives us the ability to do more with existing resources, and that's always a good investment for public safety." Recently, Olmsted took a new step in evolving its public safety technology, implementing a wireless data communications system that combines mission-critical dependability with improved data speed for added functionality.
Increased Mission-critical Data Speed Enables Faster Downloads and Wireless IP Access
"We first adopted wireless data communications to get more info through to the officers without adding dispatch staff," Heroff explains. "Our private wireless solution from Dataradio accommodated Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), messaging and state query lookup at 9.6 Kbps."
"Recently, however, the ability to communicate at higher data rates on private wireless systems had become a practical option," says Heroff. "We wanted the best of both worlds, the increased functionality that comes with higher data rates and the reliability of private wireless networks. We examined a variety of options, including high-speed public network CDPD solutions, but they didn't have the coverage or reliability we needed. In addition, CDPD was being phased out. The solution we finally implemented came from the provider we'd always trusted, Dataradio."
Olmsted's new solution includes two additional towers, upgraded equipment and software to deliver data at 43.2 Kbps. "The increase in speed makes a dramatic difference to the officer on the street," Heroff explains. "It used to take an officer up to two minutes to call up a mug-shot of a suspect in a hot case. Today, it takes less than thirty seconds. Recognizing a suspect from a photo is a lot more effective than basing your criminal search on a verbal description."
In addition to faster mug-shot downloads, the system also paves the way to a variety of additional features, including field reporting and IP access. The end result is that the communications system frees officers to spend more time in the field and less time handling paperwork or searching for information.
Enhanced Private Wireless Infrastructure Ensures Reliable, Continuous Access
To accommodate additional bandwidth and improve coverage, Olmsted's new wireless data implementation features two additional tower sites. According to Heroff, the additional infrastructure has an added impact on both performance and reliability.
"A public network can go down in an emergency situation, and we can't afford to have that happen," he says. "So we've always relied on a private wireless network for our communications. The two new sites make the system even more reliable by giving us redundant infrastructure." The key to that redundant infrastructure is sophisticated software and hardware that can automatically compensate for the loss of one transmitter site by utilizing communications with the other sites.
In addition to private wireless reliability and redundant infrastructure, Heroff points out another ingredient that is just as important to a reliable communications system: manufacturer support. "You need to know that someone will be there to support you through the issues." he says. "Dataradio has always had the type of support network we need-one that puts the engineers right there on the line with us."
Smooth Integration: A Vital Quality for Wireless Data System
While Heroff praises the performance of Olmsted's new system, he points out a lesson that applies to anyone embarking on a similar implementation: "No technology works in a vacuum."
"It's easy to compare features and functions of each component when making a design decision," says Heroff. "But when the system goes live, performance is determined by how the hardware, the software and the infrastructure work together. Finding high-quality vendors is of utmost importance."
According to Heroff, Olmsted was fortunate. "Every part of our system, including the hardware, the software and the infrastructure works in concert," he says. "That was an important consideration in our planning."
New Solution Opens Door to Future Applications and Inclusion in State Infrastructure
Olmsted's wireless data system provides a level of performance not found in previous systems. As a result, the county now has the capabilities it needs to give first responders access to a variety of resources. "We now have a practical IP capability," says Heroff. "But we haven't determined how we are going to put that to use."
At 43.2Kbps (a speed comparable to home dial-up), Olmsted first responders have the ability to access a variety of information that had been previously inaccessible from the field. "We can access federal or state systems for vital information, where and when we need it. The point is, we've opened a door, and as we move forward we can continually increase responsiveness and efficiency in the field."
Today, Olmsted enjoys a steady stream of visitors who are planning similar implementations. In the near future, the county is planning to integrate the system with Minnesota's Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER), the state's public safety communications infrastructure.
"Public safety in Olmsted has been a joint cooperative venture for over thirty years," says Heroff. "Our wireless data system is not changing the way we work; it's helping us work together better. Our first responders, as well as the citizens that depend on them, all benefit from the technology."
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