News Release
New Dispatch System Provides Greater Officer Safety, Quicker Response Times
(Friday, June 24/2005)- Halifax Regional Municipality marked another milestone today in its integrated policing strategy with the official launch of a new, single Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system for all of the municipality’s emergency services.
Mayor Peter Kelly and some members of Regional Council, Chief Administrative Officer George McLellan and senior representatives of the RCMP, Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service held a news conference at City hall this morning to release details of the new system.
“With the new centralized 9-1-1 function, all of HRM’s emergency services will be aligned under one umbrella for the convenience of our citizens-- beginning with the 9-1-1 call, through to the call-taking procedure and finishing with the dispatching of the emergency vehicle,” Mayor Kelly said. “Ultimately, this allows HRM to determine the appropriate emergency service(s) required, based on the citizen’s needs and eliminates the transferring of calls and referrals to other numbers, with the exception of IES still being required to re-direct ambulance calls."
Mr. McLellan said the CAD system will also result in shorter response times and improved efficiencies for emergency calls, because the system employs a “closest-car-goes” approach.
“When a citizen requires police assistance, they really don’t care whether its Halifax Regional Police or the RCMP who show up at the door. All they want is the quickest response available. This new system will give our residents that assurance,” he said. ’
Chief Frank Beazley, of Halifax Regional Police, said “This new consolidated service is just another example of how HRP and the RCMP are working together to achieve efficiencies, reduce response times and provide the highest level of policing service available to our residents.”
In welcoming the new CAD system, Superintendent Gordon Barnett, Officer-in-Charge of the Halifax Detachment RCMP, said “ We are also adopting Halifax Regional Police’s Versadex for our Records Management System ( RMS) this Fall, which will result in a single-point of entry for all policing activities, as well as improved information sharing between our agencies.”
Chief Mike Eddy, of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service, said “This single-entry dispatch system will provide the most efficient and effective route to respond to citizen calls for public safety calls. The initial call to 9-1-1 does it all.”
The CAD system, which consolidates all HRM’s public safety services into one coordinated dispatch centre, is to be known as Integrated Emergency Services (IES).Both officer safety and communication will be enhanced in the following ways:
• Improved access to all calls for service across HRM for both Police and Fire.
• Sharing of hazards between Police and Fire; all agencies will share information about hazardous addresses. For example, if Fire has condemned a building, Police will have access to such information when responding to a call for service at that location.
• Viewing of detailed maps in all patrol units will enable officers to orient themselves to the location to which they are responding.
• IES will pin-point the officer’s last known location.
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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010
Theresa Brien
Halifax Regional Police
(902) 490-5063
Constable Joe Taplin
RCMP, Halifax Detachment
(902) 490-1497
Mike LeRue
Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service
(902) 490-6574
