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'Tis the season for being thankful although Thanksgiving is behind us. As the saying goes, “Gratitude is like gravy—put it on everything!” So, we pour out our thanks and appreciation to you for trusting Winbourne for your public safety consulting needs.
Your patronage, your presence, your reviews, and your references — all of this keeps our business alive and makes our line of work a pleasure each day.
To our first responders that worked the holiday, we thank you for your dedication and services to your communities.
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
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Public Safety Cloud Computing
Is Your Organization Ready?
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Cloud computing is the future of public safety technology and is available from many vendors today. Cloud computing will permeate public safety the way it has in the business community over the past decade. Let’s examine how public safety agencies can prepare for cloud computing.
Since cloud-based computing requires external internet connectivity, it is critical to implement a comprehensive security solution that includes the following:
- Implementation of two-factor authentication for signing on to any device on the system.
- Utilization of point-to-point VPN connectivity to the CAD, Mobile, and RMS software solution to prevent unauthorized access and limit hacker attacks.
- Utilization of encrypted data and messaging for all CAD, Mobile, and RMS transactions.
- Repelling security attacks and hackers with network monitoring. Agencies need to work closely with their IT departments and solution providers to create an environment that will withstand these attacks.
- Firewalls that are monitored 24/7.
- Staff training on security breaches, especially on how hackers use devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones to gain access to operating systems and networks.
- Cyber-security, internal audits, and third-party audits to ensure the resiliency and safety of the public safety network and all connected devices.
Select a public safety vendor with a mature cloud-based solution, your required functionality, and a published and verifiable roadmap for future functionality.
Things to look for when evaluating public safety cloud computing solutions:
- Is the solution cloud-native or just a vendor’s application being hosted in the cloud?
- How long has the cloud-based solution been available from the vendor?
- Does the vendor have a published roadmap for future enhancements and features?
- How many public safety agencies are running the cloud-based solution in a live environment?
- What, if any, slowdowns are experienced by public safety agencies in a live environment?
- Has a public safety agency in a live environment ever been down, and if so, for how long and why?
- Examine the vendor's standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) that will dictate required uptime and responses to critical failures.
Read the article: Public Safety Cloud Computing – Is Your Organization Ready? – Winbourne Consulting, LLC (w-llc.com)
Winbourne Consulting has provided consulting services to public safety agencies for over 20 years. Our professionals are ready to assist your agency with assessing readiness and procuring a CAD Mobile, RMS cloud-based solution. Contact us for more information.
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Company Video Features Our International Business
Winbourne Consulting is recognized as a worldwide leader, providing consulting and project management services to governments, multilateral development banks and supporting international foreign aid programs worldwide. Our services range from designing nationwide solutions for emergency communications and management to Smart City and e-government infrastructure solutions. We aim to provide each client with practical, cost-effective, long-term solutions.
As promised last month, our international video is ready for viewing. Please watch the presentation featuring one of our founding members, Jeff Winbourne, our current President and CEO, Andrew Reece, and our Director of International Services and Mission Critical Facilities, Mike Hernon.
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Winbourne Customer Maui 911
is in the news
The Maui Police Department has launched new technology aimed at saving more lives.
By Chelsea Davis
Published: Nov. 4, 2022 at 12:53 AM EDT| Updated: Nov. 4, 2022 at 1:45 AM EDT
WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Oftentimes when people call 911, they are not in a safe place to talk.
That’s why the Maui Police Department has launched new technology this week to help bridge that gap.
“Domestic violence calls, everything will be silent, right? But if they let us go into their camera, then he or she can pan the phone without being too noticeable. We will more or less figure out where they’re at, and then you have an ability on the system to pin the address,” said MPD’s Emergency Services Dispatch Coordinator Davlynn Racadio.
RapidDeploy allows dispatchers to text with callers and initiate video calls. It allows dispatchers to see where the caller is, and see what the caller sees.
“This generation now, everybody texts,” Racadio said. “So, this gives us the ability to double check with them to make sure that they are safe.”
Read the full article: ‘Next generation 911’: MPD launches new technology aimed at saving lives (hawaiinewsnow.com)
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Fire Dispatch: A Seat at the Table
Nov. 14, 2022
Barry Furey tells how the problem of recruitment and retention of dispatchers correlates with the lack of recognition of their role as first responders.
9-1-1 professionals should not only be reclassified as first responders, they should receive compensation that properly acknowledges their high levels of training and responsibility, writes Barry Furey, a former dispatcher and 9-1-1 director. "Progress in recognition for communications employees certainly would help with sorely needed recruitment and retention," Furey writes.
Read the full article: Firehouse magazine online
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Swatting Calls
'This will be very hard to stop': Expert says increase in technology could lead to more swatting calls
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Written by Donny Jackson
23rd November 2022
Eight of California’s 450 public-safety answering points (PSAPs) have migrated at least some emergency calls from legacy 911 technology to a next-generation 911 (NG911) platform, and the number of 911 centers making a similar transition should increase in 2023.
Paul Troxel, chief of the 911 program-management division for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), told members of the State 911 Advisory Board that there have been some challenges associated with legacy call-processing equipment (CPE) that have limited the planned rollout of IP-based NG911 systems.
“So, this year—2022—we’re down to eight successful deployments and installations,” Troxel said during the Nov. 16 meeting of the advisory board. “Those have been works in progress.”
Read the full article: California expects 8 PSAPs to make NG911 transition this year, more in 2023 - Urgent Comms
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December 7, 2022
Washington DC
Make plans to attend the iCERT 2022 Fall Member Meeting in Washington, DC on December 7th.
Registration is now open to ALL iCERT members.
LOCATION
Capitol Hill Club
300 First Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
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January 16 - 19, 2023
Hilton Clearwater (FL)
An interactive, informative, attendee-driven event where you learn about the standards spurring the development and implementation of NG9-1-1 technology and operations best practices and create the guidelines, resources, and documents that enable NG services, systems, and PSAPs to reach their full potential.
Learn more: NG9-1-1 Standards & Best Practices Conference
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February 26 - March 1, 2023
Ritz Carlton Pentagon City
Arlington, VA
9-1-1 Goes to Washington (#NENAGTW) brings you and hundreds of your fellow 9-1-1 professionals together with government leaders in our nation's capital to address today's most pressing 9-1-1 and emergency communications issues.
Learn more: 9-1-1 Goes to Washington (nena.org)
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March 27 - 30, 2023
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
IWCE’s four-day technical conference and two-day business expo showcase the latest and greatest in critical-comms technology to ensure networks' security, dependability, reliability, and redundancy across many vertical solutions and markets.
Learn more: IWCE | Connecting Critical Communications (iwceexpo.com)
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Winbourne Consulting provides a wide range of public safety services to our clients. Some of our services offered are (click on any of these to go to our website):
Areas of focus include:
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International Services
International Clients
Some areas of focus include:
- Emergency Communications
- Emergency Operations Centers
- Emergency Services
- NG9-1-1
- Wireless Communications
- LTE 5G Network
- 911 Implementation
- 112 Implementation
- Transportation Management
- Smart Cities
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