911 Services

Intrado Inc (News - Alert)., a subsidiary of West Corporation and the leading provider of 9-1-1 service technology solutions, has launched its next-generation 9-1-1 partner program.

A 9-1-1 Alliance Member Program of Intrado is the result of a multi-year, multi-million dollar research and development investment. It has been designed to upgrade the capabilities of 9-1-1 centers by delivering new life-saving services. An open marketplace is created by the program for companies to significantly improve 9-1-1 by integrating their solutions with Intrado, using open standard interfaces.

“Expanding the currently limited information that is associated with an emergency 9-1-1 call will give public safety important new data and services,” Brian Davenport, Vice President, Product, for Intrado, said. “Together with our alliance members, we will help simplify the lives of our customers through the reliable integration of multiple application and service providers.”

The reliable, technologically advanced data and service applications, through this new managed service program will be able to provide contextually appropriate information to Public Safety Answering Points as part of the normal workflow for call-takers and dispatchers. The information — which is displayed on call-takers’ and dispatchers’ work stations; can be shared easily with other PSAPs and first responders.

“We recently had several robberies where eyewitness descriptions of the alleged perpetrator and accounts of the events varied,” Bill Brodeur, Director of Etowah County 9-1-1 in Alabama, said. “If we had the ability to receive video from the security cameras at the bank and other locations where the robberies occurred, the responding police officers would have been in a much better position to identify and apprehend the suspect.”

“The ability to send and share better data among public safety agencies within and across jurisdictional areas will help deliver a more prepared, coordinated and safer response by police, fire and other emergency personnel,” Davenport, added. “The enhanced data and services will enable PSAPs to benefit from a reliable and timely source of information and services to help them save lives. Additionally, PSAPs will have the opportunity to select the features they want with expanded and immediate control.”

In related news, Motorola (News - Alert) Inc has entered into an alliance with 9-1-1 technology solutions provider Intrado Inc to deliver next-generation 9-1-1 text messaging enabled products and services.