A Collaborative Communications Center and Public Safety Data Systems

Abstract

During 2004 Waukesha County, Wisconsin, implemented a collaborative 9-1-1 public safety communications center. This case study describes the implementation of the Waukesha County Communications Center (WCC) and illustrates the challenges involved when multiple governments collaborate on a project involving complex technology. The implementation of the new center provided an opportunity to move to advanced technology for all of the aspects of dispatch work. The project also provided an opportunity to implement an integrated criminal records system for all participating municipalities. The biggest dif?culties the WCC faced in the implementation process were a delay of several months in the switchovers from the old centers due to addressing problems and also some dif?culty in achieving response time on calls that was acceptable to the center’s partners. By late 2005, the new center had a number of plans in place to address these and other issues that commonly face projects of this magnitude.