[Scan-DC] Anne Arundel County will turn off new dispatch system Article

[Matt Stevens]

County will turn off new dispatch
system<http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/FOR/2011/12/23-43/County-will-turn-off-new-dispatch-system.html>
Bows to pressure from public safety unionsBy SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff
Writer<sdaugherty at capgaznews.com>
By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff Writer <sdaugherty at capgaznews.com>
Published 12/23/11

Following a request by the union representing the bulk of the county's
police officers, the county will temporarily pull the plug on its new
computer-aided dispatch system.

County Police Chief James Teare announced Friday morning to his officers
the department would revert to the system it used before Dec. 6, as county
staff works to address problems with the computer software. He said the
change — which will affect four other county agencies — should occur
Tuesday.

"Regrettably, a few of the new design applications are causing more
distress than anticipated," Teare said in his email, explaining the
remedies will take time to implement. "Unfortunately, time is a commodity
first responders have little to spare."

In a separate statement Friday afternoon, County Executive John R. Leopold
estimated it would take 30 days get the new system back online.

The announcement came two days after more than 100 members of the Fraternal
Order of Police Lodge 70 held an emergency meeting in Crownsville. During
the meeting, some officers pushed for a no confidence vote on Teare,
according to officers who attended. Instead, the membership voted
unanimously to write a letter to Teare, Leopold and the seven members of
the County Council asking them to turn off the new system.

"I think everyone is pretty happy they listened," said O’Brien Atkinson,
the union president. "We can't have police officers out there with
dispatchers not knowing where they are when they need help."

The county purchased the new Tiburon E-911 Computer-Aided Dispatch and
Record Management System in January 2008 to replace two aging computer
programs. The old record management software was antiquated and would have
effectively stopped working on Jan. 1 due to a Y2K-style glitch, officials
said.

Representatives of the county's Office of Information Technology and the
five agencies that use the computer system selected Tiburon's system from
four proposals.

The system is used by the county police and fire departments, the county
sheriff's and state's attorney's offices and the county's detention
facilities. But since it was turned on, the system has been plagued by
problems, several local public safety union leaders said.

Dispatchers complained that the system — with its modern graphic interface
— is more complicated to navigate than the old, text-based system.
Firefighters complained they are dispatched to calls outside their
communities, but not to calls near their stations. And police officers
complained that they are no longer able to review an address' prior calls
before responding to an emergency.

For the past two weeks, the county has attempted to address the officer's
concerns without turning off the system. After further review, Teare and
County Fire Chief Robert Ray recommended the county turn it off.

"We want to have the most modern communications and tracking systems
available to our public safety personnel, but our priority concern is their
safety when they are out in the field," Leopold said.

When the county reverts to the old computer-aided dispatch system, it will
continue the new records management system.

The police department also will revert next week to the district and post
designations it used before Dec. 6.

"I will again be asking for your continued support and patience while we
develop the best possible solutions to our communication and reporting
system," Teare said, commending his staff for taking the recent changes in
stride.


http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/FOR/2011/12/23-43/County-will-turn-off-new-dispatch-system.html


-- 
Matt Stevens
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