Is your agency investing in technology, but not using it to its full potential?
You’ve invested in the tools – a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) solution, a records management system (RMS), and mobile technologies – but is your agency fully leveraging the data sets generated by these powerful tools? More importantly, is that data being used to make decisions?
Many public safety agencies attest to taking a piecemeal approach to data by treating separate software solutions as isolated entities, rather than coordinating efforts between users and using the data they generate to extrapolate valuable trends and insights. It’s a common mistake according to many public safety experts, but one that is widespread.
“If an agency can only view part of the data, they only understand part of the problem or the incident,” says Simon Welfare-Jervis, Technical Director, Solutions Advisory for Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division and former head of strategic analytics at Calgary Police Service. “Likewise, an inaccurate picture can lead to uncertainties about proper response or misallocation of scarce resources.”
Early into the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, public safety organizations recognized the importance of alerting first responders when dispatching them to a location where an individual had reported COVID-19 symptoms or had been diagnosed with the virus. As such, special fields were added to CAD software to help protect EMS personnel. Agencies then had the ability to use aggregated data, theoretically, to become aware of “infection clusters” and alert health department personnel of neighborhoods with a high prevalence of illness.
Another potential use case for data is resource allocation to specific neighborhoods during certain times, based on historical data and trend analysis.
Even still, leveraging data in day-to-day operations requires agencies to first establish a data culture, which can be defined as an agency-wide requirement that decisions be based on information provided through data tools.
How to build a data culture
What’s the first step in building a data culture within an organization?
“Make the case for the right tools and the expertise of an analyst,” suggests Dave Armstrong is the VP and GM for Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division in Canada.
Some justifications could include:
- Accurate and reliable data enhances the ability to identify trends.
- Comprehensive data creates evidence-based support for decision-making and can replace “hunch-think.”
- Analysts can review patterns and make historical determinations based on captured data.
- Data-based reporting supports accountability and transparency with the public. Dashboards and reports dispel rumor and supposition.
Data can help individuals at all levels of a public safety organization. Chiefs can share dashboards and reports with the public, while other organizational leaders can leverage data for more effective staffing and resource deployment, or to make a case for increased resources. Elsewhere, officers in the field can use data to analyze activity within a certain time frame or locale to gain critical insights into trends at a neighborhood level, while call-takers and dispatchers also benefit from greater situational insights into what’s happening in real-time. Furthermore, data also supports institutional knowledge held by senior members on the force.
The tools of the trade
Agencies need solid analytics and records management tools with specific functions to establish a solid, data-based culture.
The first piece is a modern data warehouse, a single source of organizational truth for users to explore, analyze, and share. It combines many different sources of information, including ETL (extract, transform, load) scripts, databases, and semantic models to integrate data. Analysts then receive their data in an easy-to-understand format.
Custom ad hoc reporting empowers analysts to tailor results to their needs and add new data sources. Analysts can also view data over time and geographies to better understand incidents and longtime trends.
Finally, powerful capture tools allow users to manage records and the context in which they are created, accessed, and modified. This further allows analysts to discover trends, identify ways to deliver more efficient and effective services, and communicate with stakeholders.
There’s no shortage of data to collect in the field. Understanding its value is key, but so is having the capability to collect, manage, analyze, and share data in a way that helps all stakeholders reach their fullest potential.
Want to learn more about establishing a data culture within your public safety agency or department? Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division is hosting a free virtual public safety summit on October 13, 2020. Register today for Hexagon North America Fall Public Safety Summit.
