Innovative technology gives Western Australian fire and emergency services the advantage in emergency management

Motorola Solutions’ advanced dispatch system enables better, faster incident response

Perth, Australia – Wednesday, 2 August 2017 –  Western Australia’s Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) has made a long-term investment in productivity gains for its teams through an agreement with Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI) to provide a new computer aided dispatch (CAD) system.

Motorola Solutions' PremierOne CAD™ integrates critical information between agency databases, command centres and frontline officers working in the field.

CAD systems are the essential information hub between public safety agencies and the general public. They include critical information from Triple Zero (000) calls, one of the first points of contact for community members before information is dispatched to first responders in the field. The systems collect and collate information that is essential to a fire and emergency worker’s daily workflow.

DFES now joins Western Australia Police (WAPOL) in using the same PremierOne CAD technology platform, creating more opportunities for collaboration between the state’s fire and emergency services and police for coordinated incident response in the future.

The new CAD system will provide DFES with many enhanced features to enable greater visibility of its resources for better decision making and resource management. This includes mobility technology to provide instant and precise, mapping, dispatch and premise hazard information to crews working on emergency response vehicles. This vital information helps DFES personnel to be better informed before moving into potentially dangerous situations.

Aligned, connected technology for better results

The decision by DFES and WAPOL to invest in the same CAD platform also reflects the Western Australian Government’s State ICT Strategy to align technology and business functions to improve service delivery to the community.

The technology extension also supports the government’s ICT strategy by:

• Simplifying technology platforms, systems and standards as part of a unified government
• Connecting agencies and the community through digital services and system integration
• Informing decision-makers, frontline staff and the public with quality data and analysis.

Vice president and managing director for Motorola Solutions Australia and New Zealand, Steve Crutchfield, said the CAD systems would provide full support for daily operations for DFES and WAPOL and can be ramped up to support peak events and emergencies.

“Placing the right information into the hands of first responders leads to better, faster and more accurate decision making in critical moments,” Crutchfield said.

“The PremierOne CAD technology platform will help DFES to manage their resources more efficiently so frontline officers can be deployed quickly and effectively to protect their communities.

“In the future, having fire and emergency services and police agencies using the same CAD technology means they can collaborate more effectively during peak events including major bushfires. This creates a clear, common operating picture of what is happening in real time, helping response agencies to protect lives and property,” Crutchfield said.

The CAD platform can also support the addition of further agencies over time as well as future technological advancements to further enhance efficiency and front line support.

The new contract with DFES is valued at more than $AUD 7 million and follows WAPOL’s original investment of $AUD 11 million to upgrade its CAD platform.

To find out more about Motorola Solutions’ Mobile Intelligence solutions download the white paper.

About Motorola Solutions
Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) creates innovative, mission-critical communication solutions and services that help public safety and commercial customers build safer cities and thriving communities. For ongoing news, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/newsroom  .