TEMECULA, Calif., Dec. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airbus DS Communications, North America’s leading Public Safety communications provider, has teamed with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office in Texas, to expand the company’s efforts to improve location accuracy for 9-1-1 systems. This collaboration will demonstrate the capabilities of the new VESTA® Map Local solution to help Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of any size better locate 9-1-1 callers, especially those using wireless devices.
“With more people using mobile devices to call 9-1-1, PSAPs must ask a number of questions to identify callers’ locations. This takes valuable time – delaying emergency response and putting lives at risk,” said Jeff Robertson, CEO, Airbus DS Communications. “With the VESTA Map Local solution, Calltakers now have contextual information to more quickly locate their callers and ask better-informed questions for improved response time. We are proud to work side-by-side with our long-time customer, Medina County, to bring this solution to PSAPs.”
An Airbus customer for more than 25 years, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office hosts a three-position PSAP to manage the emergency communications needs of nearly 49,000 residents. Like many agencies its size, the Medina County communications team must contend with limited resources, while delivering flawless service. The VESTA Map Local solution seamlessly integrates with the company’s VESTA® 9-1-1 Call Handling solution, easing the burden of adopting a new platform and minimizing downtown during the transition.
The VESTA Map Local solution incorporates the latest technologies and is among the first of its kind to utilize the innovative Esri® ArcGIS Runtime platform. This opens Medina County to the power of ArcGIS online maps and extends Calltakers’ views outside county lines, where no map or GIS data previously existed. Whether a wireless call originates inside or outside the county, 9-1-1 Calltakers now have contextual data – including streets or common points of interest such as lakes or streams – to help them locate callers.
“Our Calltakers feel that the new mapping system is clearer and more precise when looking for a residence or key points,” said Medina County Sheriff, Randy Brown. “It’s now easier to look up addresses since the quality of the county map has been enhanced. If a caller does not know their exact address or location, our new mapping system will update the location on the Calltakers’ screens which decreases response times and provides a more accurate location.”
This insight is invaluable when handling calls of neighboring Bandera County, for which Medina County Sheriff’s Office serves as backup. Calltakers can now access a seamless, borderless map to view locations within Bandera County and surrounding counties in the San Antonio metro area and beyond. Plus, PSAP and county officials can be confident about its use as the Airbus cyber security team took thorough measures to implement a secure Internet connection and mitigate security risks.
The Medina County Sheriff’s Office joins the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Naples, Florida, as the second beta partner of Airbus’ VESTA Map Local solution. Collier County currently serves more than 35 positions, demonstrating the solution’s flexibility to address the 9-1-1 mapping needs of any size PSAP. For information on the Collier County project, click here.
For information on Airbus DS Communications and its portfolio of Public Safety communications solutions, visit www.airbus-dscomm.com.
Airbus
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of €67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
Airbus DS Communications (www.airbus-dscomm.com)
Airbus DS Communications, Inc. is a global leader and trusted source for mission-critical communications technologies. The VESTA® product suite provides Next Generation 9-1-1 call processing systems, land mobile radio solutions and emergency notification applications, creating smarter ways to keep all our communities safe. Airbus DS Communications was awarded the Frost and Sullivan's 2016 Best Practices Award as the NG9-1-1 Company of the Year. www.airbus-dscomm.com
Media contacts
Flynn Nogueira
Airbus DS Communications, Director of Marketing
flynn.nogueira@Airbus-DSComm.com
+1 951.216.9699
Minh Le
DVL Seigenthaler
minh.le@dvlseigenthaler.com
+1 615.610.0310