Police Communications Equipment
 

    Police Communications employees have several different types of equipment, including computers to aid them in their every day tasks.  The two police dispatchers shown above have access to two PSSI Computer Aided Dispatch computers, a Motorola Elite Radio console, a Plant Vesta phone and Bramic Furniture.

 
 
Public Safety System Inc (PSSI) - PSSI has been the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) provider for Tempe police for over 17 years.  Dispatchers answering 911 or non-emergency phones gather details from citizens requiring police assistance and enter the information into the CAD computer.  The information is sent through the CAD computer to a police dispatcher who assigns the call to an officer.  Dispatchers rely on the CAD system to keep track of all of the police officers, volunteers, and Civilian Service Officers.  
 
Motorola Elite Radio console -  Dispatchers rely on the Motorola Elite Radio console to display which officer is transmitting, advise if an officer is in an emergency situation and needs immediate help, and to enable the dispatcher to broadcast important information to several groups of officers at one time.  At least three dispatchers are assigned to work a police radio channel each shift.  Tempe Police divides the city at Broadway and a dispatcher is assigned to work "half" of the city.   An additional dispatcher is assigned to work an "information" radio channel.  Officers  request registration, driver's license and/or warrants check on this channel.  On Friday and Saturday evenings, dispatchers are assigned to work police radio channels consisting of the downtown Tempe police bike units, the mounted unit and officers on foot.   Dispatchers are also assigned a police radio channel to work  the special events in Tempe (ASU football games, Insight Bowl, Holiday DUI Task Force, etc).
 
Bramic Furniture - Currently Communications has thirteen dispatch consoles made by Bramic Furniture (shown in the picture above).  Each console has ergonomic features, such as separate levels for the keyboard and the computer monitors.  Each level allows the dispatcher to electronically adjust it up to work in a standing position or down to work in a sitting position.  Each dispatcher is also able to adjust the phone bank to within arm's reach (which varies between dispatchers). 
 
Plant VESTA CTI Phones - Communications switched to a new CTI phone system in March of 2001.  The new phones have an Automatic Call Distributing (ACD) function, which forces calls to all available dispatchers.  When all dispatchers are busy, calls are placed into a queue and receive a recording advising that the next available dispatcher will help them.   This phone system has created better customer service, since calls no longer ring until a dispatcher is available.