FOREWORD
This Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) -Traffic Management Center (TMC) Field Operational Test: Washington State Final Report provides detail about the integration of the Washington State Patrol (WSP) and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) information systems to enable the real-time exchange of incident data. The FOT was also designed to demonstrate how the integration of CAD and TMC systems can improve incident response capabilities and how institutional barriers can be overcome.
Through the CAD-TMC system, an integrated transportation and public safety incident management information network was developed and implemented for enhanced information-sharing capabilities between multiple incident management response agencies across multiple jurisdictions. This integrated system provides a new information exchange mechanism to complement those that were previously in place.
This Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) -Traffic Management Center (TMC) Field Operational Test (FOT): State of Washington Final Report will be useful to incident response agencies (e.g., fire and rescue, law enforcement, transportation) located throughout Washington State, which could benefit from having a single, integrated communications system that can be used during traffic incidents, planned or unexpected road closures, construction, or emergency situations. This document provides information for these agencies to integrate and promote the ability to communicate directly or transmit real-time messages and data via the CAD-TMC integrated system with one another, thereby reducing delays caused by relaying information through operators, dispatchers, or other agencies, and to proactively coordinate their incident management activities. Since the CAD-TMC project has the potential to provide a roadmap for implementing similar networks throughout the United States and in other countries, its progress can be tracked at a national level.
This document provides the conclusions and recommendations to the baseline evaluation criteria used to evaluate the following elements:
- Assess technical and institutional challenges involved in the CAD-TMC deployment.
- Assess the CAD-TMC system performance.
- Determine the CAD-TMC integrated system's impact on efficiency of incident response communications.
- Provide a summary of the lessons learned and recommendations associated with the CAD-TMC deployment for use by other agencies contemplating a similar system.
This document supersedes an earlier report on the subject.