| Barry Furey |
Things That Go
Bump In the Night
And other millennium management nightmares
| Barry Furey is the Executive Director of the Knox County (TN) Emergency Communications District. The current President of the Tennessee Chapter of APCO and a member of APCO's Fire-Rescue Services and Operating Procedures/Training Committees, he has been involved in public safety for 25 years and managed PSAPs in three states. |
This article can be found on
page 78 of the May/June 1998
issue of 9-1-1 Magazine.
As we head into the new millennium, there remain many unknown challenges awaiting PSAP managers.
You have seen elsewhere in this issue a discussion of the problems associated with computers and the year 2000. In short, many of our telecommunications systems, which rely on computers, may suddenly cease to operate or not behave the way they've been told to. It has also become apparent to me that in spite of the proximity to this decade's end, many vendors still cannot provide a listing of year 2000 compliant equipment. This concerns me not only from the operating sense, but from a budgetary perspective, as well. It is difficult, if not impossible, to perform realistic financial plans without the benefit of knowing what equipment will need to be updated.
Another event that is associated with the new millennium is the provision of enhanced wireless 9-1-1 service. As specified by the FCC, wireless ALI is to be in place during the year 2001. While this may not seem like an imminent issue, many unanswered questions remain. Chief among these is what technology will be used to provide the caller's location and how this new technology will be financed. Although several states have either recently passed wireless legislation or have current bills pending, there is a wide disparity in the rate of collection of 9-1-1 service fees, and some states currently have no wireless legislation. If turnkey wireless E9-1-1 is to be placed in operation prior to the FCC deadline, it is probable that collection of these fees needs to start now.
On the radio side of the house, we can expect to contend with continual frequency auctions. Although the latest round was not as profitable as expected, the federal government has found a source of revenue, which they will not soon abandon. Public safety agencies should also anticipate a wholesale migration away from VHF frequencies and an eventual narrowing of channels. All this adds up to major equipment purchases during the coming decade.
Not all of our issues will be equipment related, however. Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel will continue to be of concern. There has been some discussion on the Internet as of late regarding the effects of a low rate of unemployment on hiring. Suffice it to say that a good economy may be bad news for the PSAP. Currently, the majority of qualified candidates already have a job. This phenomenon affects not only line positions, but support positions, as well.
We must also remain poised for continuing changes in policies and procedures that place a greater workload on the PSAP, 3-1-1, and the specter of privatization.
However, all is not lost. In addition to the computer glitch associated with the year 2000, this issue also contains information regarding products that are designed to make our lives easier. And, when enhanced wireless 9-1-1 becomes a reality, it will be a significant step forward for the safety of our citizens. Finally, we are looking ahead to a time when we will be recruiting employees who have been computer literate since childhood. With the preponderance of computers in every aspect of our PSAP operations, this should prove to be a major benefit in both training and proficiency.
If only somebody could design a CAD system that operates like a Gameboy, we'd really have it made.
