In observance of Thanksgiving, eFORCE® will be closed Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th 2010.

We will be back in the office Monday November 29th.

Have a safe Holiday weekend!

With the ever present need to share data between law enforcement agencies and the advent of technology to do so, many agencies have many questions regarding how they share data, what data can be shared, and what tools are out there for data sharing.   Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about data sharing, the cost involved, and the methods available.

In the past, data sharing was as simple as agencies pushing basic records data to a central repository which could then be later queried by other departments.  Most of the time, this tool was provided by a vendor who allowed those participating agencies to share data as long as they utilized their software and are willing to pay, sometimes a great amount, for this service.  Although this method is still in use today, it has its limitations and precludes many agencies from sharing data because they do not have the same software.  It also restricts access to real time data and usually prohibits agencies from having control of their systems and data.

So what are the options for data sharing today?  Many!  In fact, there a number of low cost options.  The only real limitation to sharing data is your software vendor’s willingness to work other vendors, The Department of Public Safety, and law enforcement agencies who may not be utilizing their software.  With federal, state, and local mandates all pushing for standards that require software vendors to provide data exchange engines, the days of only sharing data if you’re on the same software are coming to a quick close.

Did you know that:

·         Software providers like eFORCE® and FATPOT, both local Utah companies, have cost effective tools that allow you to pass and share data with other agencies regardless of what software they are using?

·         eFORCE® and FATPOT provide services to over a 130 public safety agencies in Utah?

·         Data sharing is not only for records?  CAD to CAD, mug shots, pre-bookings, court, civil papers, etc… data can be shared.

·         The cost to share data should not be expensive?

·         You can maintain control of your data and system and still share data?

·         Your agency can share data with any other agency even if they don’t share the same software provider?

·         The State of Utah is currently developing tools and standards for data sharing?

So what is the REAL truth?  It’s the responsibility of all law enforcement, software providers, and IT departments to work together to increase public and officer safety through data sharing!

For more information about data sharing, please contact our offices by phone or email.

1-888-570-4943 x3 
sales@eforcesoftware.com
www.eforcesoftware.com

The Bountiful Dispatch Center is a 9-1-1 PSAP, providing communication services for 3 police agencies and 1 metro fire department in the south end of Davis County, Utah. Located along the Wasatch Front just north of Salt Lake City, they serve a total population of about 81,000. Their 11 member communications division serves 3 communities with Police, Fire and EMS service and provides Fire and EMS services to an additional 3 communities.

The Bountiful Dispatch Center has been using Computer Aided Software (CAD) software from eFORCE® since January 2010 and have it interfaced with the FATPOT records management system.

"We have liked the eFORCE® CAD system for its versatility. It was easy for the dispatchers to learn and they like having the option of using the point and click features or entering information via the command line."

In honor of this year's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week, eFORCE® would like to thank all the men and women who are apart of any EMS professional teams. We owe a lot to the men and women who are constantly working and helping to save lives.

A big part of EMS Week is raising public awareness about health and safety concerns.

One of the things the general public should be aware of is how to handle an emergency situation, so we found the 5 Best Ways YOU Can Handle an Emergency Situation:

Step 1 -- Call 911 for help immediately if you think someone is in crisis. Don't delay. This includes seizures, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, chest pain, heavy bleeding, severe stomach pain, possible broken bones or poisoning.

Step 2 -- Stay on the phone with the dispatcher. They are trained to help during emergencies. They'll continue asking you questions and can help you stabilize the person until help arrives.

Step 3 -- Keep calm until the ambulance gets there. You need to be level-headed. Reassure the patient and keep their temperature comfortable. Take it one step at a time.

Step 4 -- Talk to the patient to keep them reassured. Ask them questions about themselves.  Try to get them into a discussion with you in order to get them focused on something other than their situation.  Fear and emotional stress can cause their condition to worsen. Talking will keep their attention directed away from the event itself.

Step 5 -- Make it easy for the ambulance to find you. If there are other family members or friends around, send them to stand on the nearest corner. Turn on all the inside and outside lights if it's night time. Attempt attracting attention to your location to speed the arrival and recognition of the EMS unit.

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 The annual eFORCE® System Administrators Users Conference was held in Beautiful Park City, Utah on August 25th & 26th. We talked about the latest from IntelliChoice as well as the newest features from RMS, CAD, JAIL & CIVIL.

There was also a presentation given about applying and receiving grant funding from the government. We feel the conference was a success and can't wait for the next one in August 2010.