Control rooms  |   Narrowband  |   Broadband  |  2024-04-30

Motorola Solutions Summit Showcases How AI and Human-Centered Technologies Simplify and Strengthen Emergency Response

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

Public safety community gathers in Texas for premier technology training conference

Speaking to more than 1,300 public safety customers at Motorola Solutions’ (NYSE: MSI) Summit 2024, the company’s executive vice president and chief technology officer, Mahesh Saptharishi, revealed how public safety technology that leverages AI and smart design is simplifying emergency response, bolstering awareness and helping to reduce responder stress.

“Public safety personnel face ever-increasing demands on their attention through the onslaught of data and growing number of complex tools,” Saptharishi said. "They have fast-paced and high-stress jobs where thoughtfully designed, human-centered technologies can help simplify work and optimize focus and performance."

Saptharishi’s remarks set the tone for one of the industry’s most comprehensive technology events, designed to train and connect public safety personnel from across North America. Nearly 300 training and roadmap sessions and 35 hands-on labs reinforce how technology can reduce complexity, helping agencies do their jobs faster and more efficiently as they keep their communities safe. 

“The biggest challenges we face in public safety are staffing and retention,” said Travis Jensen, 9-1-1 administrator for the state of Arizona and a Summit panel participant. “Our call handling solution uses artificial intelligence for voice transcription, allows community members to send videos, photos and recordings and automatically calls back when calls are abandoned. These features make things easier for the telecommunicators in our 81 PSAPs and appeal to a new generation of learners who want and expect to use simple and modern devices.”  

“The City of Springfield’s Real-Time Analysis Center utilizes Motorola Solutions' easy-to-use software to enhance situational awareness and support officer safety across our community,” said Bill Schwarz, director of the center and presenter at this year’s conference.“Through the technology, we can access data from our network of cameras, license plate readers and gunshot detection sensors, as well as our computer aided dispatch system - and see everything on a single workstation. This allows us to provide timely, accurate and actionable intelligence to our responding officers so that they can provide the very best service possible to our community."

“Technology, at its best, should elevate human potential,” Saptharishi said. “AI, in particular, can serve as a force multiplier for public safety agencies, scanning for individuals, vehicles and situations of interest, flagging urgent events and sifting through vast amounts of data in seconds. These capabilities not only help to improve emergency response and operations, but address persistent staff retention issues, hiring gaps and onboarding obstacles.” 

Summit 2024 attendees include command staff, technical administrators, 9-1-1 telecommunicators, geographical information specialists, IT personnel, records managers, evidence analysts and first responders. Over three days, they partake in focus groups, peer forums and educational sessions spanning public-private partnerships, cybersecurity, emergency call routing and call handling, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), field response, real-time intelligence, records management, evidence management and more. 

Sessions are custom-designed to help public safety agencies:

  • Maximize investments in public safety technology across cloud, hybrid and on-premises deployments
  • Integrate mission-critical communications, fixed and mobile video, access control systems and command center solutions for greater situational awareness
  • Leverage AI to support staffing challenges, analysis and investigations
  • Solve multi-agency interoperability challenges
  • Increase community information-sharing and engagement
  • Safeguard critical public safety infrastructure from cyber criminals

Summit 2024 is taking place in Grapevine, Texas from April 28-May 1. Follow along at #MotoSolutionsSummit.