Emergency backup communications system
First Claim
1. In combination:
- at least one public safety answering point operative to receive emergency communications from at least one local exchange carrier facility and dispatch emergency response units in response to receipt of said emergency communications; and
an emergency backup communications system for facilitating emergency responses in the event of loss of communication and/or inoperability of said at least one local public safety answering point, said emergency backup communications system including;
a secondary central communications facility in generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
automated location identification interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from an automated location identification (ALI) system associated with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
computer aided dispatch interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system associated with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
at least one operator in said secondary central communications facility operative to receive incoming emergency communications and screen said incoming emergency communications for location and response information;
dispatch means in said secondary central communications facility operative to interpret said information received via said incoming emergency communications, said automated location identification interface means and said computer aided dispatch interface means and transmit dispatch information including said location and response information to emergency response units for response to incoming emergency communications from said at least one local exchange carrier facility.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In combination, at least one public safety answering point operative to receive emergency communications from at least one local exchange carrier facility and an emergency backup communications system for facilitating emergency responses in the event of loss of communication and/or inoperability of the local public safety answering point. The emergency backup communications system includes a secondary central communications facility in generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection with the local exchange carrier facility, interface systems operative to receive and facilitate information reception from both automated location identification (ALI) systems and computer aided dispatch (CAD) systems. At least one operator is housed within the secondary central communications facility for receiving and screening the incoming emergency communications. Finally, a dispatch system is operative to interpret the information received via the interface systems and transmit dispatch information including location and response information to emergency response units.
38 Citations
12 Claims
-
1. In combination:
-
at least one public safety answering point operative to receive emergency communications from at least one local exchange carrier facility and dispatch emergency response units in response to receipt of said emergency communications; and
an emergency backup communications system for facilitating emergency responses in the event of loss of communication and/or inoperability of said at least one local public safety answering point, said emergency backup communications system including;
a secondary central communications facility in generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
automated location identification interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from an automated location identification (ALI) system associated with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
computer aided dispatch interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system associated with said at least one local exchange carrier facility;
at least one operator in said secondary central communications facility operative to receive incoming emergency communications and screen said incoming emergency communications for location and response information;
dispatch means in said secondary central communications facility operative to interpret said information received via said incoming emergency communications, said automated location identification interface means and said computer aided dispatch interface means and transmit dispatch information including said location and response information to emergency response units for response to incoming emergency communications from said at least one local exchange carrier facility. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An emergency backup communications system for facilitating emergency responses in the event of loss of communication and/or inoperability of a public safety answering point, said emergency backup communications system comprising:
-
a secondary central communications facility in generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection with a local exchange carrier facility;
automated location identification interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from an automated location identification (ALI) system associated with a local exchange carrier facility;
computer aided dispatch interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system associated with a local exchange carrier facility;
at least one operator in said secondary central communications facility operative to receive incoming emergency communications and screen said incoming emergency communications for location and response information;
dispatch means in said secondary central communications facility operative to interpret said information received via said incoming emergency communications, said automated location identification interface means and said computer aided dispatch interface means and transmit dispatch information including location and situation information to emergency response units for response to incoming emergency communications from a local exchange carrier facility; and
said secondary central communications facility being generally impervious to externally-based operational disruptions to facilitate generally uninterruptible emergency communications with local exchange carrier facilities and emergency response units thereby generally ensuring uninterrupted emergency response to emergency situations which have disabled a public safety answering point. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of providing an emergency backup communications system for facilitating emergency responses in the event of the nonfunctionality of a public safety answering point, said method comprising the steps:
-
providing a secondary central communications facility in generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection with a local exchange carrier facility, said secondary central communications facility being generally impervious to externally-based operational disruptions to facilitate generally uninterruptible emergency communications with local exchange carrier facilities and emergency response units;
providing an automated location identification interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from an automated location identification (ALI) system associated with a local exchange carrier facility;
providing a computer aided dispatch interface means operative to receive and facilitate information reception from a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system associated with a local exchange carrier facility;
determining that the public safety answering point is nonfunctional;
substituting said secondary central communications facility and said generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection for the nonfunctional public safety answering point;
receiving incoming emergency communications via said generally independent and generally secure information transmission connection within said secondary central communications facility from a local exchange carrier facility;
screening said incoming emergency communications for location and response information;
interpreting said location and response information via said incoming emergency communications, said automated location identification interface means and said computer aided dispatch interface means such that the location and response for the emergency situation is determined; and
transmitting dispatch information including said location and response information to emergency response units for response to incoming emergency communications from a local exchange carrier facility.
-
Specification