In the same way, software engineers need to know their end users.

Emergency response software is too often written for a committee of middle managers and accountants. The people who will actually use the software are not in decision-making positions.  So, when new software systems are installed in public facilities, everyone in the bureaucracy gets a piece of software code with thier name on it — and the day-to-day users have to live with the result.

Here’s an example from today’s Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune:

Dispatch ‘upgrade’ slows fire response

Minneapolis, MN — Minutes can mean lives to firefighters battling flames or answering medical emergencies. So when Minneapolis spent $4.2 million upgrading its computer dispatch technology this year, Fire Chief James Clack was hoping for the faster response times the maker promised.

Instead, things are worse. Since the upgrade, firefighters are getting to fewer emergency calls within the five minutes they use as a standard.

Minneapolis dispatchers say the new system has advantages, but it also makes some illogical choices…

The problem here is a failure to understand the difference between fire and police — which probably came about when a committee tried to order software that would serve many masters, but with a “one size fits all” user interface.  Of course, the data is all there, but allowances are required for the differences between fire and police departments.

While both organizations have a similar mission — to safeguard the community – a dispatch system designed for police response is not a perfect fit for fire response.

Consider these facts:

• Police buildings were never designed to have a pole to slide down because the stairs would be too slow.  Firefighters still use the pole. 
• Firefighter outfits are arranged in advance so the guys can literally slip into them on the way to the fire truck.
• Police carry notepads to meticulously collect details. That’s done after a fire.

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Firefighters begin with the assumption that an emergency is already in progress. Police assume there is an annoyance in progress, and they need to be convinced otherwise. I’m not criticizing anyone here. I’m explaining a fundamental difference in the nature of the job. Multiple confirmations are needed for police becuase that’s what they get when there is a real emergency.

Firefighters have equipment and tools. They need to bring with them everything they might need to match a situation. With police, the issue is usually a person. A person can be brought back to the station, where they have all the necessary tools, like jail cells. I know they have guns and other tools. My point is they don’t have to have what amounts to construction equipment in the trunk of their car.

Committees, by design, incorporate a wide range of people with a wide range of viewpoints. And, it would be a rarity for any of them to have experience in software development process. Programmers need clear, concise instructions. The typical beaurocratic process can change objectives on a dime, based on competitiveness and politicial manuevering.  After objectives become clouded, the software winds up being written for the guy who spoke loudest after the budget was used up.

So, while I don’t know any more specifics of the Minneapolis dispatch system than this news story provides, the situation is a classic example. The problems would be solved — maybe for less money – by having the right people working with each other.

http://www.alarmcommunity.com/manuals.htm

Mayor Bloomberg says kids shouldn’t tour firetrap UN

The United Nations building is such a firetrap that Mayor Bloomberg is threatening to ban schoolchildren from touring the 55- year-old East Side landmark.

The city has given the UN until March to install smoke detectors and other crucial safety measures — or kids will be kept away.

Normally, the Fire Department can enforce code compliance. In this case, however, the New York Fire Department doesn’t have jurisdiction over the UN. Even though inspectors found 866 violations in January, no one can force the UN to bring the building up to code.

DEMAREST, N.J. (CBS) ― Surveillance cameras rolling inside our local schools is nothing new, but what’s taking place inside Demarest’s public schools is truly cutting edge: a live feed from more than two dozen cameras with a direct connection to the police.

The cutting edge part — and the expense — is the network itself. Steaming 24 camera images is like simulateously downloading 24 YouTube movies that never end. The network cameras themselves are newer technology, but commonly available these days.

It’s amazing how often I hear a story about a bunch of cameras streaming to a remote location. There might be a reason for recording at an off-site location, but isn’t the point of remote viewing just to see what’s going on? If you really need to see all 24 cameras live, the incident is a big one.

Remote viewing is about seeing one or several specific cameras when you need them, and that’s not so difficult for network bandwidth.

Nonetheless, even the Department of Commerce’s NIST experts concluded that it wouldn’t be feasible to install cameras in New York City subway cars because the bandwidth would be too great. Where do they get that? Is there some kind of union pact between network camera manufactuers and network installers?

Find a way to index the camera, so when you need the live video, you can find it. Off-site alerts when a camera detects motion are already built-in to most camera systems. Record the video on-site, where it doesn’t cost a fortune.