Telecommunication software connects legacy infrastructure to modern dispatch centers

In the last few months, news of mass shootings has frequently dominated the headlines. It’s an increasingly concerning issue that must be confronted by public agencies in a number of ways, among them, by making it easier for those in trouble to connect with public safety organizations—and by giving dispatchers more information and tools at their disposal, faster.

With technological innovation pushing public safety access points (PSAPs) into uncharted territory over the last decade, telecommunications now have more information than ever at their fingertips. But given the vast discrepancies between incongruent telecommunication systems, either public or private, bringing emergency dispatch into the digital era hasn’t been an easy task. Connecting disparate systems has become a particularly urgent challenge that many companies are working to overcome.

One of those software developers, 911inform, is addressing that need through an “overlying layer to existing 911 systems,” according to Ivo Allen, CEO of the company. With software that supports many different kinds of telecommunication technology—from building mapping to live video feeds—Allen said his software allows dispatchers to tap into a building’s existing telecommunication infrastructure.

In the event of an emergency, information like where exactly a telephone call is being made from inside a building (as opposed to a generic phone number) is relayed to PSAPs via RapidSOS’s popular dispatch platform. While the service is overseen by the building manager, the information and corresponding platform is freely provided to public safety organizations.

Beyond communication, the technology can automatically scan for weapons and allow dispatchers to, in an emergency, control building functions like door locks from afar.

“We monitor for a 911 call, when that 911 call is made, we route it to the correct PSAP,” Allen said. “We do have the capability to vet emergencies before they go out, but that’s really only done on shot detection or weapon detection for verification.”

For buildings with older infrastructure, Allen said his company recently launched a gateway that can connect legacy telecomm systems to modern dispatch infrastructure, called the Multifunctional LTE Gateway. A statement notes the technology, which makes the connection via Avaya OneCloud’s UCaaS Platform, was developed “to solve the inherent obstacles of police call handling solutions and to integrate with hosted cloud phone systems,” the statement says.

It’s useful because it solves “a long-known problem with public safety premise-based technology by connecting to the current telephony trend of cloud-hosted phone systems,” said Brian Anderson, public safety director at Avaya.