Local 911 center now has a data-rich system that speeds emergency response
CAMBRIDGE − Residents and visitors in Guernsey County are now protected by one of the most technologically advanced 911 systems in America after the Communications Division of the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office went live with Next Generation 911 call management software from Carbyne.
The value of the new Carbyne APEX system was illustrated just two hours after it went live when a 911 call taker was able to communicate via a live smartphone video feed with a frantic mother whose son had collapsed. The call taker was able to see that the son was breathing and to guide her through pre-arrival instructions until the ambulance arrived. Without the video connection, the incident could have turned out tragically.
While the county’s old system was based on pre-internet, analog technology that limited 911 calls to two-way voice conversations only, the new Carbyne APEX solution is a cloud-native platform that is digital and smartphone-friendly, enabling the 911 center to speak with callers via video and obtain more accurate location information and other rich data automatically.
The new system is especially notable because it did not require the county to be previously connected to an Emergency Services IP Network, or ESInet, a specially engineered network capable of carrying voice plus large amounts of data using internet-protocol standards and technology.
Until now, the most commonly accepted technology standard for Next Generation 911 required emergency call centers to be connected to an ESInet to be considered a compliant NG911 system.
Tthe Carbyne APEX solution enables 911 agencies to deliver i3-compliant NG911 services without first investing in expensive new infrastructure. In the event of a data center failure, whether due to a natural disaster, human error, or attack, the call center’s data is stored in a secure government cloud so the county can relocate its team without hassle. Network infrastructure is implemented by Carbyne APEX and monitored and managed, with built-in protective controls to provide end-to-end security.
The new system also offers cost advantages. Under the old system, Guernsey County had to pay for a yearly contract to maintain an on-premise data center and the associated 911 call-handling software. By switching to the APEX cloud platform, the county eliminated the hardware costs and consolidated several operating costs.
Kenny Mathews, director of IT for Guernsey County, said, “The biggest hesitation that I see, moving forward, is everyone is afraid of the cloud. But with Carbyne, the engineering behind this solution is so robust, we can have failures on multiple comms lines and still have multiple paths to the Internet.”
“We’re just a small sized 911 office, with two dispatchers on at all times,” said Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden. “We thought there was no way we were going to be able to adopt NG911 anytime soon. But I’m happy to say we’re one of the first counties in Ohio to have it, or maybe the first. I would like to see all counties have this system.”
Guernsey County Commissioner Dave Wilson said, “It’s going to lead to better services and greater safety for the citizens of Guernsey County.”
Provided by the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Local 911 center now has advanced system that speeds emergency response
