Overview
Customer Profile
In February 2007, the state of Vermont made history by implementing the first state-wide, NG9-1-1 (Next Generation 9-1-1) system. The system ushers in a new era for 9-1-1 and with it myriad enhancements to Vermont’s 9-1-1 infrastructure.
Business Situation
Vermont had just over a year in January of 2006 when it issued a Request for Proposal after learning that its ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) would no longer be supported by its Telco. Rather than looking to replace their existing 9-1-1 infrastructure with a similar phone switch, the state, after careful analysis, opted to deploy an IP-based network. This would solve all their existing challenges and provide a flexible platform enabling them to respond to the demands of the future.
Solution
Working with microDATA, Vermont implemented an NG9-1-1system comprised of microDATA’s X-Solution which included an IP-based 9-1-1 call handling system with integrated map, an ALI DBMS, a GIS DBMS, and a new IP backbone connecting the state’s 10 PSAPs.
Benefits
Vermont realized the following benefits from The X-Solution™:
- Potential savings of bringing ALI DBMS in-house
- Efficiencies in workflow from an IP network, as all data may be shared among PSAPs and all facets of 9-1-1 from GIS updates distributed on-the-fly to the ability to share call data
- Average GIS updates are down from 2-4 hours to seconds
- A fully redundant network since Vermont has multiple network connections between PSAPs
- Mutually supportive PSAPs—now call flow may be distributed according to availability
- A lower Total Cost of Ownership from an integrated system based on COTS (Common off the Shelf) equipment
- Disaster preparedness—should Vermont need to set up a "virtual PSAP," The X-Solution™ software-based core allows all the call taking functions to be set up anywhere there is an internet connection
- An advanced Emergency Notification System, enabling Vermont to be proactive in a rapidly changing 9-1-1 environment
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Vermont Leverages the Power of The X-Solution™
"Think about our 9-1-1 system trying to keep up with this technology. Having an IP-based 9-1-1 system [has] allowed us to do that. What if we only have a graphical communication? It could be video, graphic, or text. Now our responder will be able to see that and respond, but they could not do that on a legacy system." ~ David Serra, Director of Vermont E9-1-1 Board
In February 2007, the state of Vermont made history by implementing the first state-wide,
NG9-1-1 system. The system ushers in a new era for 9-1-1 and with it myriad enhancements to Vermont’s 9-1-1 infrastructure.
Like many 9-1-1 Boards across the nation, Vermont faces the challenge of keeping up with a changing technological landscape. In addition, what started for Vermont as an imperative to find a new phone system in October 2005 culminated in a complete overhaul of the state’s 9-1-1 system. Networking the state’s PSAPs has allowed Vermont to realize the power of microDATA’s X-Solution, as now the 9-1-1 system is truly integrated. Through migrating to a common IP standard, Vermont can take advantage of more streamlined processes. GIS updates may be made on-the-fly with updates now pushed out to the call taker positions at all 10 PSAPs in seconds. An accurate, up to date map provides Vermont's call takers with situational awareness and enables them to proactively identify and respond to events. Reconciling discrepancies between the ALI database and the MSAG may be handled internally with microDATA’s Service Bureau team managing the ALI database. GIS discrepancies can now be reported from a call taker’s station; ALI updates may be submitted in a SOI file for changes over a secure web connection, vastly decreasing the steps in an often cumbersome process. The call handling system provides voice recording and administrative monitoring remotely at any one of the 10 PSAPs from any location on the network. Furthermore, the system is fully scalable and adaptable to future technological developments.
Situation
In October of 2005, when Vermont’s 9-1-1 circuit provider notified them that they were no longer able to support the Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), the need to evaluate a new 9-1-1 system became imperative. In fact, David Serra, Director of the Vermont E9-1-1 Board, and his team had less than 15 months when the ACD would no longer be supported. As a result, Serra and the Vermont E9-1-1 Board drafted a Request for Proposal which comprehensively addressed all aspects of their environment and what they wanted to achieve. In the words of the Vermont E9-1-1 Board, it would need to be "...a forward looking system that takes advantage of recent advances in technology."
This forward looking system would prepare the state to handle present and future technologies. Such technologies include the convergence of voice and data, Short Message Service (SMS), 3G Cellular, vehicle telematics and more. In addition, the system leverages technology to achieve a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increased reliability.
Supporting a 9-1-1 system, while adhering to NENA standards and provisioning for a system that must operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week, is no easy feat. Vermont’s previous 9-1-1 system relied on a legacy phone system with proprietary equipment, as well as significant support from Vermont’s Telco, since the addressing systems—ALI database and MSAG—were maintained through a contract with that Telco. GIS data was managed by the E9-1-1 Board using ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.1 and microDATA’s x9GIS. Yet Vermont, like many 9-1-1 systems, had the arduous task of maintaining many discreet systems with some being in-house while others were outside Vermont’s offices.
Monitoring of the system was also limited. A PSAP administrator in Derby, VT was not aware of call volumes being received at the Williston PSAP or any one of Vermont’s 10 PSAPs and vice versa. Hence, efficient sharing or redistribution of resources was not possible in times where one PSAP might be hit with heavy call volumes, while others could be underutilized.
Call recording systems were analogue and lacked the flexibility of data-centric systems. Features such as saving audio recordings as WAV files for review were not possible under the existing infrastructure.
Redundancy and survivability were also an issue. Phone circuit failure or perhaps a PSAP taken out of service due to an environmental event presented challenges that could not previously be provisioned for easily or rapidly. In short the system lacked the dynamic element imperative in an NG9-1-1 world.
Lastly, maintaining accurate data at the call taker stations and in Vermont’s ALI database, as well as the growing GIS database, was a challenge; the systems lacked efficient workflow, as they relied on a paper trail of forms passed between numerous entities until a change could be completed.
Solution
Implementing the microDATA X-Solution, an integrated suite of products, provided Vermont’s answer. Covering the four corner stones of a 9-1-1 system, it includes an IP-based call handling system, an in-house ALI database management system, a streamlined GIS database management system and mapping solution all running over the state-wide IP network.
Call Handling
Calls hitting the xSwitch, microDATA’s replacement for the selective router and ACD, access the same information as before, serving up both ANI and ALI records along with a spatial map (GIS data) which displays the exact location of the caller. In addition, two Emergency Call Data Centers (ECDCs), one in St. Johnsbury, VT at microDATA and the other in Montpelier, assure that calls get routed reliably, even if one ECDC should fail. In addition, the call is associated with the appropriate Selective Transfer Agency (STA) based on the caller’s location. Prior to this, Vermont’s legacy system was only able to pull up a stored STA, which was not necessarily relative to the caller’s location. The PSAP call taker may also see any pertinent notes on the caller, such as whether this is a repeat offender or the like. In fractions of a second the call taker is not only armed with an address and spatial map, but also background on the caller.
"Geographic dispersal," as Serra refers to it, is inherent in Vermont’s
NG9-1-1 system, a system which lends itself to survivability. Each of the PSAPs now linked by multiple circuits is mutually supportive. A circuit can go down and still data or a call will be routed to its destination. What is more, Vermont can balance call volumes between PSAPs. "In the past, there was one PSAP backing up the whole system. Now all PSAPs backup each other," cites Serra.
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The ability of the call taker to quickly understand what situation is taking place and the location of a 9-1-1 caller in seconds is evident as Serra reminds us of the challenges his staff face today: "Think about this: maybe you are precluded from speaking. We need to know where you are in that situation." In such a situation, instant messaging or a picture sent from a 3G cell phone to 9-1-1 may be all Vermont’s 9-1-1 call takers and dispatchers have to work with. Data like SMS messages or photo files transmitted from a cell phone in the future may be routed through xSwitch and then transferred to the call taker’s station as any other data. This could provide the difference between a 9-1-1 response and no response when routed over a legacy system’s selective router which would not support IP. Next generation systems operating with voice and data running over an IP network
will be able to treat such communications like any other voice call
to 9-1-1.
Administration and Communication within the PSAP
Call takers often need the assistance of their administrator. Rather than waving for the PSAP administrator over a busy communications floor, information about a call may be passed seamlessly while still seated at the call taker’s station via instant messaging. Again the IP-based system integrates with the call taker’s system, enabling the message to be relayed to the administrator along with data from the call.
Instant messaging may serve to convey information quickly and discreetly to the administrator, but real-time voice recording offers even more benefits to the PSAP administrators and the Vermont E9-1-1 Board. For example, a call taker may have the caller on the phone while their administrator is able to replay the call and assess exactly what was said but now hearing precisely what the call taker heard. In those split seconds the administrator has a complete picture of what is
going on.
The system allowing the administrator to do this in real-time is something called the Instant Recall Recorder (IRR), a digital voice recording system built into the microDATA call taking software, xTrakker 9-1-1. All calls are recorded and may be played back as they occur, or the system may replay calls at a later date for review and training purposes. Since the recording now resides on a server as a WAV file, recorded calls may be accessed from a network drive. IRR is but another example of how integrating voice and data systems allows the PSAP to efficiently access information at a moment’s notice.
Health of the network may be monitored in real-time with statistics viewed through a dashboard-style application. microDATA's xBannerBoard, as Serra explains, "…allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of our system. At a glance, we can see information that is an important part of system management decisions, particularly in times of high 9-1-1 demand. Seeing the system perform in real-time on the xBannerBoard also enables me to more effectively respond to inquiries by the press and the public. When we look at the dashboard display we actually feel like we are driving the system, as opposed to being driven by events."
Managing the Network
Driving events as opposed to being driven by them is one thing that Jim Lipinski understands only too well. As IT Manager for Vermont’s E9-1-1 Board, Lipinski knows first hand the need to be able to evaluate the "vital signs" of a network. Unlike a Telco-based system, every piece of data traveling over Vermont’s WAN can be monitored and appropriate action taken. Through a network monitoring system by Crannog, Lipinski’s IT team may view every event occurring at the gateways, network or within a particular application. Much like xBannerBoard allows PSAP administrators to observe the volume of calls being handled at various call stations, Lipinski is able to view "chatter" between various devices at every PSAP in Vermont. Prior to this connected network of PSAPs, Lipinski’s team would often have to drive to a call taker station at a distant PSAP after fielding the call that a work station was down. Now, they can not only monitor those remote stations, proactively checking for issues in advance, but in most cases they are able to remotely access the call taker’s station over the network and resolve the problem without leaving their desk.
For IT managers in the corporate sector, these abilities are nothing new but for Vermont’s 9-1-1 IT manager, none of this was possible. Lipinski reminisces, "With the old system we could see things, like when the call volumes were high, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. For example, you couldn’t add more call taker seats on-the-fly, since the Telco owned this. These types of functions did not happen quickly. There was no competition and if they [the Telco] couldn’t get you what you wanted, there was no place to go." Naturally, just as Vermont brought their ALI database in-house, they have done the same with many functions on the phone network. Adds, moves and changes are one example, but Lipinski envisions that many of the benefits are still to come. The common IP standard makes this possible. For Lipinski the new system means more interconnectedness, independence and economies of scale.
The Power of Bringing the MSAG and ALI Database In-house
For most 9-1-1 agencies, updates to the ALI database can be a time consuming process. Typically the ALI database is managed by a Telco, which is responsible for maintaining this along with their MSAG. The Telco will send a list of updates which the E9-1-1 Board must review and edit as necessary, and then send back to the Telco for updates to the ALI database. For the Vermont E9-1-1 Board this was an arduous task with thousands of customer service records needing to be reconciled. In addition, Vermont paid to have their records maintained by the Telco.
Under the new system and through a software application from microDATA called xALI DBMS, this process is essentially brought in-house. Today, microDATA functions as the service bureau provider for the Vermont E9-1-1 Board, resolving discrepancies between the MSAG with the Telcos and the ALI database. In the long term, Vermont can take the step toward managing the ALI database independently, with assistance from microDATA’s trainers. In essence, the service bureau allows Vermont’s E9-1-1 Board to transition painlessly to an independent operation. "Taking the ALI database in-house will be a business decision made easier by using the microDATA software," cites Serra. The net result has many benefits including:
- A more streamlined system—updates are made daily via a secure web site which processes service order requests
- Large amounts of paper and data errors are reduced
- Large costs are avoided, as the ALI database is in-house, not at
the Telco
- More independence and control of data and the system
- Enhanced resource sharing --VT towns may efficiently submit changes for roads and new residencies
Maintaining the GIS Database
Naturally when callers have a land line, the ALI database offers a reliable means of providing an addressed location. But we are rapidly becoming a world of nomadic users with cellular phones and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones. Many households, and particularly the nation’s youth, now rely on a mobile phone as their primary phone. As for VoIP, and according to NENA, estimates are that 12 to 15 million households will be using a VoIP service as either a primary or secondary line by the end of 2008. This presents a dilemma for today’s PSAP, as they will need to respond to 9-1-1 calls which are not in the ALI database. As a result, many PSAPs and 9-1-1 Boards rely more on their companion GIS database to locate these callers.
Typically an accurate map of addressable sites, roads with accurate road names and emergency zones is needed. Maintaining GIS data has been a stumbling block for many years in 9-1-1 and for Vermont this was no exception. microDATA’s GIS system built on ESRI’s ArcGIS 9.2 streamlined the process. "Through a system known as transactional replication," notes Jeremy McMullen, the 9-1-1 Mapping and GIS specialist for Vermont, " an update can occur real-time at the PSAP and at a call taker’s station in seconds." McMullen sighs, as he remembers the process on Vermont’s previous legacy system. "We would have to update the whole database which could be a couple of gigabytes. It would take us two to four hours and had to be done when no one was doing anything network intensive. In that system the call taker would get a prompt to accept the changes … I would have to call each of the call takers to remind them to accept the changes. Now with transactional replication it occurs real-time in the background with just the updates going over the wire to the call taker station." The transfer is completed in seconds, but most importantly, it can be completed every day.
For a rural state like Vermont which has a fair volume of visitors and part time residents, updating the GIS database is imperative. McMullen speculates that there may be a time when we get out of "dual processing" or relying on dips to the ALI database and the GIS database to locate a caller. In the future, it may be one GIS-based database. McMullen is preparing the state of Vermont’s 9-1-1 system for the future. No longer does he have to watch the "stack of daily updates from the towns" building up. With GIS and ALI databases in-house and all systems communicating without time consuming conversion steps, McMullen is proactive, not reactive.
Mapping
Having a streamlined system for managing a PSAP's maps and updates is important, but equally Vermont has come to rely on microDATA's xTrakker, the mapping application running at Vermont's call taker stations. Back in 1996 when Vermont first contracted microDATA to re-address the state for the new statewide 9-1-1 system, maps had not come to play the vital role then that they play today in responding to a 9-1-1 call. Now no longer is the call taker left with a flat address from the ALI database. Emergency calls fielded from land lines, as well as mobile phones, can be seen clearly on an accurate and up-to-date, graphical map. Vermont's call takers not only see exactly where a caller is on their display but may isolate events or even track events as they unfold. In short, xTrakker provides Vermont's 9-1-1 team with situational awareness.
But during certain events, as in a natural disaster, Vermont's citizens rely on 9-1-1 for their own situational awareness . Through an extension to xTrakker known as xNotifier, a component of the Emergency Notification System, the Vermont 9-1-1 team can build a notification call database. Once emergency zones are created, the system can be pre-configured through Vermont's call handling system to send out a pre-recorded warning or announcement to the affected Vermont citizens, should such an event arise. In addition, Vermont's 9-1-1 team may create an emergency notification zone on-the-fly by manually isolating an area on the xTrakker map.
Preparing Vermont’s 9-1-1 System for the Future
"Both of the recent major disasters, Katrina and 9/11, illustrated the benefits of being able to relocate a PSAP in short order," asserts Serra. "Now with our new system and a broadband connection, we are able to do just that." In what Serra likes to refer to as "the PSAP in a box" Vermont’s 9-1-1 system would now be able to set up remote PSAPs wherever and whenever they need. In essence, all the call taking and applications which reside at any of the 10 PSAPs may now be extrapolated to a computer system operating out of a briefcase and connected to a broadband link.
Such a scenario may sound remote but Serra reminds us that the "Agency of Human Services top disaster comprises a major event that drives 300,000 people, all competing for goods and services, to rural areas like Vermont. In this scenario it would require us to ramp up our PSAP call taking capability. It necessitates a PSAP in a box to be set up where needed and when needed." While this is not something that any 9-1-1 coordinator likes to dwell on, it is one that must be provisioned for.
Communication across state lines will be equally important. Serra envisions a time when other states will be able to share the same information over their IP-based networks. "Once everyone is singing from the same sheet of music, we will be better able to communicate with other states," he acknowledges. Such communication may be a necessity and as Serra reminds us in the eyes of Homeland Security, "9-1-1 is the first line of defense. Nine times out of 10 anytime there is a homeland security emergency, the process will begin with a 9-1-1 call. Homeland Security is not just a parochial or local interest, it is a national interest. If 9-1-1 is on the front lines of an emergency, it behooves the states to be able to communicate with each other. In such an event, we must be mutually supportive."
Benefits
Leverage the power of bringing resources in-house
Having the ALI database in-house provides numerous workflow benefits. At present microDATA maintains this for Vermont, reconciling any discrepancies between it and the MSAG. The previous cost for maintenance through the Telco was significant. Once Vermont is ready to bring this in-house and manage it independently, this cost could be eliminated. In addition, the incremental cost of ALI dips and rebids may be avoided with an in-house system.
Improved workflow
Workflow benefits in the IP-based system are numerous and will only continue to be discovered as new technologies are incorporated into this data-centric system. Distributing GIS updates to Vermont’s 10 PSAPs and then out to the call taker stations has been streamlined. Updates are pushed out over the network and average GIS updates are down from 2-4 hours to just seconds with less disruption in workflow. Furthermore, Vermont does not have to continually rebuild the GIS database.
Full redundancy for all network connections
If a circuit is disconnected between PSAPs, there is no disruption in data or call flow. Under the IP network, data is simply rerouted instantaneously over the other redundant circuit. Should a PSAP lose all its network connectivity, the xSwitch will reroute calls hitting that PSAP to the appropriate backup PSAP where a predetermined tiered back-up plan is in place. Again this is performed in an instant. Such an interlaced network offers true survivability.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership from an integrated system
microDATA’s X-Solution is built on equipment that may be provisioned through common technology channels, avoiding costly proprietary devices.
Fully upgradable and scalable
System upgrades may be implemented easily and without costly proprietary devices; the system scales as needed.
IP enables rapid deployment of the virtual PSAP
Disaster preparedness means Vermont may need to set up a "virtual PSAP". The X-Solution™ software-based core allows all the call taking functions to be deployed anywhere there is an internet connection.
NG9-1-1
The integrated 9-1-1 system implemented in Vermont offers NG9-1-1 functionality, preparing the state for processing traditional wire line, wireless communications as well as data communications from VoIP to video messages and instant messages.
Components of The X-Solution™
Call Handling:
xTrakker 9-1-1 Enterprise
Manage your PSAP spatially with a highly scalable and reliable turn-key solution.
GIS DBMS:
x9GIS
A feature-rich and intuitive set of 9-1-1-specific GIS editing tools.
ALI DBMS:
xALI DBMS
Get the cost savings and the control of your data by bringing your ALI database management in-house.
Mapping:
xTrakker Enterprise
A robust map that will integrate with any telephony and CAD solution.
xNotifier
Emergency notification extention. |
