POLICE AND FIRE COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE TECHNOLOGY
The technology used in today's Fire and Police Communications Centres was introduced in 1996.
After a pilot in Hamilton, the call handling functions of both agencies were centralised in three Communications Centres in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Known as the Communications and Resource Deployment (or CARD) system, it provides Fire and Police with a sophisticated system which brings together radio, telephone, mapping and dispatch capabilities.
It operates from a computer system known as CAD – Computer Aided Dispatch.
Emergency services in other parts of the world use similar technology.
All transactions are recorded, meaning the Communications Centres are perhaps the most closely measured and scrutinised part of Fire and Police operations.
Some of the system's features are:
Caller Line Identification (CLI)
When a residential caller makes a 111 call from a landline, the name and address of the bill payer automatically displays on the Communicator's computer screen.
This immediately pinpoints the caller's location, however the Communicator will still confirm the details.
CLI is linked to the mapping database (see below).
People calling on cellphones still need to tell the Communicator exactly where they are as the technology is not yet available to show where they're calling from.
Mapping
Communications Centres have a mapping database covering the whole of New Zealand.
The database contains several types of maps including regular street maps, aerial photos, topographic maps, marine charts and local council property boundaries.
The different types of mapping information help the Communications Centre build a full picture of a location for Fire or Police staff on the ground so they know what they'll encounter.
For example, if an offender jumps a fence and goes into bush, the aerial photos give much more detail than a street map. They show the terrain and density of the bush, including any unofficial walking tracks visible from the air that the offender may follow.
GPS
Global Positioning System devices and satellite navigation technology are becoming increasingly popular.
From the latitude and longitude coordinates shown on a caller's GPS device, the Communications Centres can plot on the map exactly where that person is. This is helpful in search and rescue situations or for members of the public reporting incidents.
Radio and Dispatch
The Police and Fire Service radio networks are used by officers to contact the Communications Centres to report incidents and request further information, such as directions using the mapping facility.
Dispatchers at the Communications Centres also use the radio networks to assign jobs to officers out on patrol.
Recently, Police have begun using computers in some Police cars to communicate electronically with Communications Centres.
Using these mobile data terminals, officers can receive jobs from the Centres' Dispatchers, relay updates back and communicate their vehicle status. They can also query the Police National Intelligence Application for people and vehicle information.
Overflow
Occasionally one of the three Communications Centres will receive what's known as a 'call spike'. Many people might phone in at the same time about a single incident, for example a serious car crash or a major fire.
If one Centre receives a large volume of calls, Telecom can present calls to another Communications Centre.
So for example, even if a caller is in Auckland, their call may be answered in Christchurch or Wellington.
All Centres have nationwide information and can locate the emergency and obtain all the necessary information to provide a Fire or Police response.