County first responders launch tech to enhance safety, response time
Custom-designed records system will boost inter-agency cooperation
Catoosa County, Fort Oglethorpe and Ringgold first responders announced the launch of a mission-critical Centralsquare records management system custom-designed to enhance the safety of emergency personnel and the public, reduce response time and enable virtually instantaneous sharing of information between local agencies, 911 operators and the court system.
By leveraging cutting-edge Centralsquare software with advanced mobile hardware, Catoosa County 911 operators and first responders have immediate access to real-time information that identifies the closest available personnel and resources to calls for assistance.
While on the way to calls, first responders are empowered with information to help identify potential hazards and threats, special needs and geographical features that can affect the successful resolution of emergencies. Additionally, law enforcement officers can collect and share information immediately with their peers and the court system about criminal histories, investigations and outstanding warrants.
“It has been a yearlong process of working with representatives from all county agencies and Centralsquare’s build team to customize their software with us, “said Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk. “While we have been using a previous vendor’s record management software and upgrades since 1994, Centralsquare’s solutions are far more advanced and bring us to a new era for meeting our mission-critical requirements for security, efficiency and global sharing of data with our first responder partners.”
“We are honored to partner with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office as they lead the transformation of public safety service to the communities of Catoosa County, Fort Oglethorpe and Ringgold, Georgia,” said CentralSquare CEO David Zolet. “With the launch of CentralSquare Public Safety Suite Pro, area agencies can apply our cutting-edge records management, dispatch and 911 technology to make their communities safer, smarter and more connected.”
Centralsquare’s software solutions contract was approved by the Catoosa County Board of Commissioners in September 2019, with a total price of $931,814. The system supports the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Catoosa County 911/Emergency Management, Catoosa County Fire Department, Ringgold Police Department, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department and the Catoosa County court system.
“We are extremely fortunate to have the support from Catoosa County government and our community for this interoperable communications software upgrade,” said Catoosa County 911/ Emergency Management Director Steve Quinn. “We have some of the most dedicated public safety professionals in the region, and the Centralsquare solution will enhance our mission to serve our citizens in the best possible way when they rely on our assistance.”
“Through our partnership with Centralsquare and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, our officers now have powerful, advanced datadriven tools that will help meet our goals for faster response times to our citizen’s needs as well as the ability to search for and access critical shared information,” said Fort Oglethorpe Police Chief Mike Helton.
“We are grateful to Sheriff Sisk and his team for spearheading this endeavor and bringing it to life for the citizens of Ringgold and Catoosa County,” said Ring
gold Police Chief Jennifer Jones. “In an emergency every second counts and the detailed information that the Centralsquare software solution provides our officers can mean the difference between life and death. Additionally, having the ability to easily share critical information with our law enforcement partners could ultimately prevent and solve more crimes.”