InterAct helps Assam Police in speedy emergency response

16 Jun 09

InterAct Public Safety Solutions Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of US-based InterAct Public Safety, a leading provider of safety and security software used by government agencies as well as private sector businesses, announced that the Guwahati Police Department in Assam, India is now equipped with highly functional computer aided dispatch (CAD), geographic information system (GIS), and automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems that greatly enhance their ability to respond to emergency situations.

InterAct has installed InterActCAD, an extremely user-friendly CAD system that guides dispatchers in quickly determining the most appropriate response to incidents. InterAct has equipped Assam Police with InterActGIS which automatically pinpoints the caller's location on a digital map right in the CAD system. Another product, InterActAVL, allows more than 30 patrol cars to be tracked in real time so that dispatchers can identify and dispatch the closest officer to an incident. A new state-of-the-art voice over IP (VoIP) phone system that triples the call capacity of the dispatch center.

Tracking throughout

From the moment a call comes in, all actions are tracked through the seamless InterAct system. Dispatchers can automatically see the caller's location, and follow intuitive menus to choose the best response. They can even see all previous incidents reported from that phone number, and alert officers to potentially dangerous situations they may encounter such as a person with a history of violence living in the household.

In addition, dispatchers can clearly see all current incidents and units in the field on a giant map display. This frees them to make the most efficient use of available field resources. As officers are en route to a scene, the GIS system provides pinpoint accuracy, as well as key landmarks such as roads, railway lines, buildings, locality, and road intersections to ensure that they're headed to the exact right location.

"In emergency situations, it's all about providing the fastest, most appropriate response," said a member of the Guwahati Police Department. "InterAct's seamless software vastly improves communication and collaboration among dispatchers and officers, and gives us the instantaneous data we need to swiftly respond with the best decisions possible. We're exceptionally pleased that this is helping us to improve officer and public safety."

As officers head to the scene, the AVL system allows dispatchers to track their motions live through GPS and satellite imagery. By keeping in direct contact with responding units, dispatchers can reassure the caller of the emergency response status, and can be instantly alerted if an officer runs into trouble.

Easy retrieval

The entire incident, from the initial call through incident closure, is automatically recorded in InterActCAD, and is tagged for easy retrieval. The department can review this data to find ways to continually improve its emergency response procedures, and can share it with the courts should a criminal proceeding occur as a result of an incident.

"Like many large cities, Guwahati was seeking ways to improve law enforcement and emergency response," said Andrew J. "Flip" Filipowski, executive chairman and chief executive officer of InterAct Public Safety. "It's very rewarding to see the many benefits the city is gaining in improved dispatch efficiency, faster response times, and ultimately enhanced public safety."

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