Don't worry. The really hot stuff will be sent over the airways. Follow-ups, however, will most likely be on the "boxes".
Dispatchers like the MDTs since they can call an officer and route the call slip information to the officer, with details that previously required a phone call for details or had to be given cryptically or in code when sent verbally. This way, the airways remain open for emergencies.
A couple of examples:
MDTs that gave the call slip info and a street map of the immediate area.
A few years ago, on Discovery or similar channel, Texas A&M University, Texas DPS and a couple of local law enforcement agencies in Brazos County, TX, experimented with MDT technology and showed how effective it could be. They story centered around a convenience store robbery where the first responder obtained witness statements and the store's video. The officer edited a picture of the robber and a snapshot of the car, transmitted the pictures to the dispatacher, who then formatted them and broadcast them to units in the field. Shortly thereafter, the robber was captured, and he could not deny it was him and his car. Normally, since Brazos County is rural, and there are plenty of ways to get hidden in nearby cities, the robber could get away quickly.
Although this part of the MDT technology is still being worked on, parts of it are in place. It is the future of policing.
So the MDTs are good, and protects the officers in more ways than one.
Don't expect the fire and ems agencies to use the MDTs as much.
Many FDs using MDT technology will send building information to the trucks that had been kept in books that occupied much space in the cab. It is interesting to see building diagrams and cautions on the screen.
Great for firefighter safety and victim rescues.
