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The IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security, announces the release of the Revision Assessment for the Incorporation of Fire and EMS Functions into the Law Enforcement CAD Functional Specifications. The document is now available at http://www.ijis.org/
In 2003, The Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council (LEITSC) identified the need for a national standard for computer aided dispatch (CAD) functional specifications to: provide a starting point for law enforcement agencies to use when developing CAD requests for proposal (RFP); level the playing field when working with industry solution providers; and promote system interoperability. This recognition ultimately led to the creation of the Standard Functional Specifications for Law Enforcement Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems through the cooperation of a number of partner organizations including the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
In 2009, the Public Safety Data Interoperability Project, funded by BJA and co managed by the IJIS Institute and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, identified the need to expand the original document to include fire service and emergency medical service (EMS) CAD functional specifications. Through a series of meetings and collaborative efforts, the Revision Assessment for the Incorporation of Fire and EMS Functions into the Law Enforcement CAD Functional Specifications was created; the document not only identifies additional capabilities that should be added to the existing document, but also a number of areas where alterations could be made to make the resource more timely and accurate for all of public safety. Some of these functions stem from recent technologies and initiatives, such as Next Generation 9-1-1 and Suspicious Activity Reporting, which have been developed since the original document was drafted.
This Revision Assessment serves two purposes. First, it provides the basis for determining the level of effort required to incorporate fire and EMS functional requirements into the existing Standard Functional Specifications for Law Enforcement Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems document. This document specifically describes fire and EMS CAD functionality that would need to be added, as well as numerous modifications to current language and restructuring suggestions. Understanding the level of effort and need will help create and guide a future effort to achieve the desired goal – a revision of the CAD Functional Specifications. Secondly, until the next revision is published, this document can serve as a supplement to the existing Standard Functional Specifications for Law Enforcement Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Systems to those needing a more complete list of base CAD functionality. It may be of particular use to those drafting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for CAD systems that need to support dispatching fire or EMS – either alone or in addition to law enforcement.
Paul Wormeli, executive director of the IJIS Institute, noted, “This revision assessment undertaking has resulted in a lot of valuable input for future CAD guidelines, but, as an added bonus, it has generated a lot of consensus building and support for stronger coordination between law enforcement and public safety agencies. There is progress being made at the federal level to bring together the structures and resources to make this happen, and I applaud and encourage those efforts.”
Richard Mirgon, president of APCO International, said, “The partnership between APCO and the IJIS Institute in managing the Public Safety Data Interoperability Project has resulted in many great products, and this revision assessment is certainly included as one of those valuable outputs. The merging of fire and EMS functional specifications into the original law enforcement document will undoubtedly be to the benefit of communications centers and public safety agencies nationwide.”
To download the document, and for information on the PSDI Project, visit http://www.ijis.org/_
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