Sheriff’s office, fire and rescue join police department in using Spillman Technologies
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Three public safety agencies in Okeechobee County, Fla. will utilize a shared Spillman system in an effort to better serve the community. The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office and Okeechobee County Fire and Rescue Department are joining the Okeechobee Police Department in using Spillman Technologies’ fully integrated products for their community’s needs.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office chose Spillman’s computer-aided dispatch, records management, jail management, and mobile solutions in an effort to reduce response time for emergencies and increase officer efficiency and safety.
In the original proposal to county commissioners, the sheriff’s office discussed the benefits of purchasing Spillman, citing increased efficiency, safety, and better capabilities over the old system.
“The current system costs our county every day in time lost due to inefficient processes, reduced effectiveness, and potential liabilities,” the proposal stated. “Spillman Technologies will provide county personnel with the tools they need to do their jobs efficiently, accurately, and safely.”
The Okeechobee Fire and Rescue Department plans to use Spillman to streamline their dispatch and emergency response.
“The one big thing we are looking at is increased speed and response time, instead of a time delay with a phone connection,” said Karl Holtkamp, training officer and fire inspector for Okeechobee’s Fire and Rescue Department.
Holtkamp said his team is also looking forward to using Spillman’s AVL Mapping module to see where responders are. Being able to track units will help the department manage resources and keep staff safe, he said.
The Okeechobee County Fire and Rescue Department will share the Spillman system hosted by the sheriff’s office, allowing them to exchange data easily and save money by sharing hardware and maintenance costs. The agencies will also use Spillman’s CAD2CAD Interface to exchange call data with Okeechobee City Police Department, which has been using Spillman software for five years.
“When they go live, we’ll be able to share information,” said Detective Bettye Taylor of the Okeechobee Police Department. “Our reports are going to be the same. Their dispatch is going to be aware of what our dispatch is doing and vice versa.”
Taylor said that her experience, especially regarding Spillman’s industry-leading customer support, led her to encourage the other Okeechobee County agencies to adopt Spillman software.
“I’m excited and I’ve been trying to sell the sheriff’s office on it since we got Spillman. Really the things that sold me are ease of use and tech support—I really just love tech support.”
When the departments go live in January 2013, they’ll be joining 12 other agencies in Florida and more than 1,000 customers nationwide currently using Spillman’s public safety software.
About Spillman Technologies
Spillman Technologies is a public safety software provider headquartered in Salt Lake City, serving police departments, sheriff’s offices, communication centers, fire departments, and correctional facilities nationwide. Spillman specializes in integrated software solutions, including Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management Systems, Mobile Data & Field Reporting, Mapping & GIS, Crime Analysis & CompStat, Jail Management Systems, Fire, Data Sharing, and Personnel & Resources. For more information about Spillman, visit www.spillman.com.