Computer aided dispatch.

[cstockmyer]

Is there a Law Enforcement version of Lola? Or is that purely a Fire and EMS program?

 

[fireemt55]

Locution

"Lola" is designed by Locution Systems Incorporated (http://www.locution.com/). The system is designed for the Fire and EMS Communities...from having experienced dispatching both Police and Fire and both with and without Locution in different agencies...my gut reaction is that Police Officers would not have the patience or the time to listen to Lola. A dispatcher dedicated to a police channel would be significantly faster at relaying the information than having Locution air it. It could possibly be used in a large police facility to send automated alerts during high priority calls, but I really can't see a use for it in the Police sector....but hey...there's a first for everything!!!

 

[cstockmyer]

(activation or de-activation of lights, tone alarms, bay doors, traffic signals and appliances in fire stations).

Wow I had no idea Lola could do all that! Thanks for the information!

 

[fireemt55]

Yeppers...if you add all of the modules (and a bunch of $$$$), there are some pretty amazing things that it can do. You can actually give your dispatchers control over everything from the lights (even down to specific rooms) to opening or closing doors, opening/closing speakers in specific areas, sending LED Board Messages to the stations, to even as you mentioned turning off the stove/oven. I believe it is based off of IP technology...so that is all well and good, provided the Internet or your network is working like it's supposed to!

 

[cstockmyer]

Yeppers...if you add all of the modules (and a bunch of $$$$), there are some pretty amazing things that it can do. You can actually give your dispatchers control over everything from the lights (even down to specific rooms) to opening or closing doors, opening/closing speakers in specific areas, sending LED Board Messages to the stations, to even as you mentioned turning off the stove/oven. I believe it is based off of IP technology...so that is all well and good, provided the Internet or your network is working like it's supposed to!

I have to ask, do dispatchers ever use that ability to mess with the people at the stations? So why spend all that money on Lola when the same thing can be done via Voc alarm?

 

[Toneslider12]

We never mess with crews Locution and First In which is made by Westnet both offer more in station options than just a vocal alarm does. Firefighters use a computer interface to choose what apparatus they want tones for in their individual bedrooms, how loud they want the tone to be and how bright they want the lights to be. The companies offer a lot of added perks like automatic muters in the dayroom and fitness room; when a call comes in the surround sound or stereo will instantly turn off so the dispatch can be heard. There's also a decibel meeter on the apparatus floor that will adjust the dispatch volume depending on how much noise is going on already, making sure everyone hears it. Locution also scrolls the call information and units assigned on a digital screen above the door to the apparatus floor. First In offers this feature on the station TV, just like caller ID the call info will pop up on the screen.

Most stations just have normal lights come on with a tone, this system allows for pods of LED lights throughout the station with multiple colors. Each unit has its own color, so when a call comes in you can tell who's going just by the light. It's not that important in a single unit station but at a station like 34's with 7 units it can be nice. You can also buy strips of LED lights that act as normal lights unitl a call comes in. When that happens the lights turn red and scroll like directional arrows toward the apparatus floor.

It's pretty cool stuff to read about but much more amazing when you actually see it for yourself. Station 34 has a lot of this technology if you ever want to see it, Cunningham Station 62 also has a lot of features from First In.

 

[GrayJeep]

Job satisfaction?

Yeppers...if you add all of the modules (and a bunch of $$$$), there are some pretty amazing things that it can do. You can actually give your dispatchers control over everything from the lights (even down to specific rooms) to opening or closing doors, opening/closing speakers in specific areas, sending LED Board Messages to the stations, to even as you mentioned turning off the stove/oven. I believe it is based off of IP technology...so that is all well and good, provided the Internet or your network is working like it's supposed to!

This sounds to me to be similar to how medical researchers teach rats to respond or avoid various stimuli. Or it's how long-term spaceflight will be managed. The computer is in charge of scheduling and routing the human response when it's needed.

Have the firefighters simply been made into antibodies ready to be summoned and routed toward the community's illness?

Yikes! The Matrix exists!

 

[kc0kp]

Vocal Alarm

Actually, Denver's vocal alarm does all that. Station 26 has three zones, one for the engine, the truck and a chief (not implemented as the chief is at station 2). Lights and PA all are coordinated so dispatchers through CAD can control who is awakened. Then again, how does the truck crew sleep through the engine crew leaving? Doubt they tiptoe.
The vocal alarm also returns the acknowledgement and also telemetry from the station. It polls to make sure they are still on line, the battery voltage on the vocal alarm, AC power to the station and the RSSI are all within normal parameters. Propoals to control door closure if an engine leaves and has a remote malfuntion on the rig are being studied.
All of the new stations will have these features. Older stations have wiring issues that may be too costly to retrofit.
As for the $$$$$, the code was all written in house, the wiring designed in house, the fire houses wired by fire department employees. The control system originally ran on Atari 800 XLs with the code residing on game cartridges. Now, rack mount IBM compatables run the systems in the fire house with in house built controllers.
In house programmers also wrote the code to interface the radio fire box system into CAD, the page tap ticker tape printers in the firehouse tie to CAD and the system activating the sirens for the outdoor alert system. All of these present themselves to dispatchers through a GUI.
If there is ever a need for a new feature, since it was all done in house, the modifications can be done in house for less money and less time. Any thing that doesnt work right, the finger only points in one direction.

 

[cstockmyer]

We never mess with crews Locution and First In which is made by Westnet both offer more in station options than just a vocal alarm does. Firefighters use a computer interface to choose what apparatus they want tones for in their individual bedrooms, how loud they want the tone to be and how bright they want the lights to be. The companies offer a lot of added perks like automatic muters in the dayroom and fitness room; when a call comes in the surround sound or stereo will instantly turn off so the dispatch can be heard. There's also a decibel meeter on the apparatus floor that will adjust the dispatch volume depending on how much noise is going on already, making sure everyone hears it. Locution also scrolls the call information and units assigned on a digital screen above the door to the apparatus floor. First In offers this feature on the station TV, just like caller ID the call info will pop up on the screen.

Most stations just have normal lights come on with a tone, this system allows for pods of LED lights throughout the station with multiple colors. Each unit has its own color, so when a call comes in you can tell who's going just by the light. It's not that important in a single unit station but at a station like 34's with 7 units it can be nice. You can also buy strips of LED lights that act as normal lights unitl a call comes in. When that happens the lights turn red and scroll like directional arrows toward the apparatus floor.

It's pretty cool stuff to read about but much more amazing when you actually see it for yourself. Station 34 has a lot of this technology if you ever want to see it, Cunningham Station 62 also has a lot of features from First In.

Wow I say RR Field trip!! . Thanks for all that information Eric, very interesting.

 

[cstockmyer]

No offence to the Dispatchers here, but do people think at some point the human dispatchers could ever become obsolete? Could the dispatching duties for our first responders ever become totally automated?

 

[firescannerbob]

Initial dispatch could be handled by computer, but after that, I don't see how. How will a computer understand voice traffic from the field? There are literally an infinite number of situations that could arise in the field. Each requires a dispatcher to use some cognitive reasoning to handle any request that comes in. And don't get me started on multi-tasking...
Some things are getting automated,but have a computer do everything? Not likely anytime soon.

 

[Toneslider12]

It would be very unlikely in the fire world and impossible for law enforcement.

 

[kc0kp]

Lola

The biggest advantage I see in Lola is that if the information is correctly entered by the complaint clerk, there are a few less chances for error in dispatch. Lola is uniform to the point of distraction but I have favorite dispatchers that I am used to their tone, inflection and clarity of speaking. Lola may be monotonous but he/she/it is extremely understandable, is not going to get the address goofed up, is not dyslexic and is unemotional. Drawback is that he/she/it repeats things too many times at least in my non consequential opinion.
While these same things are valuable for police response, they are not as practical as police can be anywhere at anytime while fire/EMS at least 65% of the time are in quarters or other fixed spot.

 

[donc13]

Actually, Denver's vocal alarm does all that. Station 26 has three zones, one for the engine, the truck and a chief (not implemented as the chief is at station 2). Lights and PA all are coordinated so dispatchers through CAD can control who is awakened. Then again, how does the truck crew sleep through the engine crew leaving? Doubt they tiptoe.
The vocal alarm also returns the acknowledgement and also telemetry from the station. It polls to make sure they are still on line, the battery voltage on the vocal alarm, AC power to the station and the RSSI are all within normal parameters. Propoals to control door closure if an engine leaves and has a remote malfuntion on the rig are being studied.
All of the new stations will have these features. Older stations have wiring issues that may be too costly to retrofit.
As for the $$$$$, the code was all written in house, the wiring designed in house, the fire houses wired by fire department employees. The control system originally ran on Atari 800 XLs with the code residing on game cartridges. Now, rack mount IBM compatables run the systems in the fire house with in house built controllers.
In house programmers also wrote the code to interface the radio fire box system into CAD, the page tap ticker tape printers in the firehouse tie to CAD and the system activating the sirens for the outdoor alert system. All of these present themselves to dispatchers through a GUI.
If there is ever a need for a new feature, since it was all done in house, the modifications can be done in house for less money and less time. Any thing that doesnt work right, the finger only points in one direction.

Well...yes and no. I was heavily involved in the original Denver Public Safety CAD install for DPD and DFD (and DGH) back in the early to mid 90's. Back then (it may still be the same) it was PSSI that wrote the CAD system and modified it to our needs. The Atari's fed PSSI's system, and the interface was written by PSSI. DFD simply provided the protocol of the feed to PSSI. Back then (and maybe still now) DFD dispatched both via microwave and over the air. The microwave system interfaced with a status board. Door openings and aparatus in/out of station were reported...and that was all written and done by DFD folks. The DFD folks that built it were very resourceful.

It was quite a system....and a lot of fun (and hard work) trying to please everyone and getting it integrated .... even more fun, getting everyone moved into the "new" Combined Communications Center. Lots of stories there.

 

[donc13]

No offence to the Dispatchers here, but do people think at some point the human dispatchers could ever become obsolete? Could the dispatching duties for our first responders ever become totally automated?

Simple answer...no.

 

[kc0kp]

Small world

Well...yes and no. I was heavily involved in the original Denver Public Safety CAD install for DPD and DFD (and DGH) back in the early to mid 90's. Back then (it may still be the same) it was PSSI that wrote the CAD system and modified it to our needs. The Atari's fed PSSI's system, and the interface was written by PSSI. DFD simply provided the protocol of the feed to PSSI. Back then (and maybe still now) DFD dispatched both via microwave and over the air. The microwave system interfaced with a status board. Door openings and aparatus in/out of station were reported...and that was all written and done by DFD folks. The DFD folks that built it were very resourceful.

It was quite a system....and a lot of fun (and hard work) trying to please everyone and getting it integrated .... even more fun, getting everyone moved into the "new" Combined Communications Center. Lots of stories there.

I know who you are now too. Another author of machine language programs for the Atari. As of now, they are on the third generation of software for firehouse control. PSSI is such a pain to get new handlers written for, the software is now written to talk to their parameters without modification. They are installing a new radio fire box system with mesh networking. CAD will only see it as if it was the old box system. Same zones, same numbering systems, etc. Easier to do. Translation from the proprietery system in the firebox makes the new ones look like old Gamewells. The only difference is that supervisory signals will be shunted away from CAD and captured on other computers to both lighten the load on CAD and to make them invisible to the dispatchers.

 

[cstockmyer]

Atari's fed PSSI's system

As in the same people who made Pong?

 

[donc13]

Atari's fed PSSI's system

As in the same people who made Pong?

Yes, but these weren't game consoles, Atari also made home computers starting about the late 70's into the late 80's or so.

 

[donc13]

I know who you are now too. Another author of machine language programs for the Atari. As of now, they are on the third generation of software for firehouse control. PSSI is such a pain to get new handlers written for, the software is now written to talk to their parameters without modification. They are installing a new radio fire box system with mesh networking. CAD will only see it as if it was the old box system. Same zones, same numbering systems, etc. Easier to do. Translation from the proprietery system in the firebox makes the new ones look like old Gamewells. The only difference is that supervisory signals will be shunted away from CAD and captured on other computers to both lighten the load on CAD and to make them invisible to the dispatchers.

Yea...I did some Atari 6502 assembly programming. Not for the DFD though. I was with the PD and worked in OSI at the time. Retired (from the PD..still working) in Aug of '97

 

[cstockmyer]

Yes, but these weren't game consoles, Atari also made home computers starting about the late 70's into the late 80's or so.

Very interesting. Thanks!