Madison Company's System Aids Work Flow, Saves Money
By GINA HANNAH
Huntsville Times Business Writer
Madison, AL, June 20, 2008
A Madison-based company is developing products for a new generation of emergency 911 call centers.
Emergency CallWorx designs systems that allow 911 centers to manage incoming calls and dispatch. While most systems work to integrate disparate hardware components into one system, CallWorx has developed a software-based package that integrates call-taking, mapping and dispatch functions.
The system uses Java programming language to combine functions on an secure intranet browser, said Craig Dollar, president of Emergency CallWorx. Unlike traditional systems, emergency center staff will not have to move from station to station to get from incoming call to dispatch of emergency vehicles, he said.
"Work flow is one of our big issues," Dollar said "And the technology - we needed to make it more affordable."
Dollar founded Emergency CallWorx after working for other companies for more than 20 years. In October 2006 he started out as an industry consultant, expecting to be in a sort of semi-retirement.
"I was ready to wind down, but I had an idea," he said. He began working on an integrated call and dispatch system, and Kevin Gardner, another industry veteran, joined him in the business last October.
Traditional 911 centers require the purchase of call-taking, mapping, dispatch and radio control equipment from different vendors. Once installed, the components must be integrated and made to work together. Dollar said Emergency CallWorx seeks to bring a simpler, streamlined and more affordable system to centers in smaller markets, but larger centers could use the system as well.
Emergency CallWorx products also integrate Voice-over Internet protocol technology, which is gradually replacing analog for telephone calls. Having data and voice information transmitted over the same pipeline allows the information to be transmitted simultaneously, Dollar said. New technology will also allow calls to be sent via mobile phone or text message and services accurately dispatched.
"The desire for 911 in the future is to be able to talk to people anywhere, any time, on any device,"" said Ernie Blair, director and CEO of the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center. "The kids nowadays are text messaging, and that's something we don't have."
"I'll be at a party and someone will ask 'if I'm in a wreck and take a picture of my car with my cell phone, can I send it to you?' and I say 'no.'""
Blair said a software-based system would be easier and more economical to upgrade than the traditional system.
