Orange County Emergency Services recently implemented the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) program at the Orange County 9-1-1 Center. This new system significantly reduces the time needed to dispatch vital public safety resources during emergencies.
ASAP enables alarm monitoring companies to transmit notifications about burglaries, fires, or medical alerts directly to the 9-1-1 center and electronically integrate the information into the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) software. This automation eliminates manual data entry, enhances accuracy, and reduces dispatch time.
Kirby Saunders, the Emergency Services Director, expressed pride in leveraging technology to support the dedicated work of 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators. “Since implementing the system on July 22, we have received 209 alarms, with 135 (65%) coming through ASAP. We expect this percentage to increase over time.”
The ASAP system improves alarm processing time and allows telecommunicators to dispatch first responders more quickly. Saunders explained, “In the past, alarm companies had to call the non-emergency phone number at the communication center to report an emergency. Telecommunicators would then manually input relevant information into the CAD software, a process that took up to two minutes. ASAP shrinks that processing time to approximately five seconds, vastly enhancing efficiency and reliability, and reducing stress on telecommunicators.”
“Thieves may want to think twice before breaking into someone’s home or business in Orange County,” said Sheriff Charles Blackwood. “I am grateful for the effort it took to put this system in place. The Emergency Services Department continues to demonstrate their commitment to providing exceptional and highly effective public safety resources throughout Orange County.”
Orange County 9-1-1 becomes the 146th center nationally and the 14th in North Carolina to implement this technology. For more information about the ASAP Service, visit the Monitoring Association’s website at https://tma.us/programs/asap/ or the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) website at https://www.apcointl.org/technology/interoperability/asap-to-psap/.