An upgrade is in need for California’s Verdugo Fire Communications Center. As the work to upgrade the dispatch system to Northrop Grumman’s CommandPoint® Computer-Aided Dispatch System is in the works. As the emergency dispatchers serving the California cities of Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, and surrounding communities is widely use, there is a need to upgrade their technology to better suit their uses. As such, they will soon have access to Northrop Grumman Corporation’s fifth-generation Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) technology.
Northrop Grumman was recently selected by Verdugo Fire Communications to upgrade its legacy dispatch systems located at the Glendale Fire Department headquarters to the industry-leading, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)-based CommandPoint® CAD and CommandPoint® Mobility products. The planned rollout of CommandPoint® will significantly increase the operational capability of local dispatchers and fire and rescue services as they respond to public safety incidents.
The new technologies being introduced through the agency’s emergency response management system modernization will substantially boost the amount and quality of information being provided to dispatchers by 9-1-1 callers. The flow of information between callers, dispatchers, fire and rescue stations, and mobile units will also be sped up through the streamlining of communications.
“In emergency situations, every second counts. The quality of information provided to dispatchers and the time it takes to direct units to the scene can change outcomes,” said Nathan Daniels, program manager, first responder solutions, Northrop Grumman. “When seconds count, CommandPoint® delivers as a robust, secure and automated emergency response management system.”
Production of Verdugo Fire Communications Center’s new dispatch system is already underway at Glendale, California. Once live, dispatchers and fire and rescue units will have access to several Northrop Grumman-provided CommandPoint® CAD and CommandPoint® Mobility tools, technologies, services and integrations.
“Northrop Grumman has decades of experience in the field of computer-aided dispatch. Our first responder command and control solutions are trusted by dozens of police, fire, ambulance and security services in the U.S. and around the world,” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, missile defense and protective systems, Northrop Grumman. “CommandPoint® is our fifth major iteration, providing a significant leap in capability to our customers.”
Verdugo Fire Communications is one of several existing and new customers who have chosen to upgrade to Northrop Grumman’s CommandPoint® CAD product suite.
Verdugo Deputy Chief Silvio Lanzas said, “I am very pleased and very proud to have the relationships with Northrop Grumman’s staff. The entire team have been extremely professional and excellent to work with.”
The U.S. military has also adopted Northrop Grumman’s computer-aided dispatch technology, with the U.S. Navy choosing to modernize its contiguous United States (CONUS) emergency management systems with CommandPoint® at the Southwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northwest, and Naval District Washington regions.
CommandPoint® provides a tailorable, easy-to-use Microsoft Windows-based user interface, with features that reduce the potential for errors by prepopulating lists and streamline data entry. CommandPoint® Mobility is an associated software application for in-vehicle mobile data terminals and computers, tablets, phones, and wearables. The system architecture is designed for scalability, allowing customers to expand their operations as needed.
