Communications Bureau
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Communications Bureau is the first point-of-contact for citizens living in unincorporated areas of the county that are seeking emergency and Law Enforcement services. This is one of the busiest Public Safety Answering Points (9-1-1) in the Tampa Bay area, handling over 900,000 emergency and non-emergency calls for service in 2004. The Communications Bureau is the largest civilian component of the Sheriff’s Office; it is composed of over 140 personnel, which work 12-hour shifts on an A/B rotation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In July 2004, the 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) facility was completely remodeled with state-of-the-art ergonomic workstations and new computers with flat panel LCD monitors. A new Versaterm/Versadex Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system was installed on February 2005. This new CAD system has significantly expanded the capabilities of both the Dispatcher and Patrol Deputy by allowing them to rapidly share information, efficiently coordinate resources using full-color dynamic displays, and improve officer safety. In addition to the new CAD system, the Bureau utilizes the Plant Vesta E9-1-1 (enhanced 9-1-1) phone system. The E9-1-1 system automatically displays a map that shows the location of each call. Improvements in cellular technology will eventually enable dispatchers to pinpoint the caller’s location. These enhancements can save precious minutes in responding to an emergency call.
Read more about this topic: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (Florida)
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