Everett Erichsen, director of the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services, discusses the revolutionary text-to-911 solution and its impact on public safety and emergency response.
On this episode of The Tyler Tech Podcast, we sit down with Everett Erichsen, director of the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services in New York. Everett discusses the county’s transformative impact of the text-to-911 solution and highlights the evolution of technology and its critical role in improving public safety. Hear firsthand accounts of how text-to-911 has made a difference, from aiding individuals in distress to maintaining operations during system outages. He also outlines the importance of interoperability in ensuring seamless communication across multiple agencies.
Join us for an insightful conversation on next-gen emergency response technology and the importance of embracing the future to ensure community safety.
We also detail City Hall Selfie Day, an initiative created by Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL), which takes place on Thursday, August 15th. For more information, visit: www.elgl.org/cityhallselfie
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Everett Erichsen: I've been in emergency services for seventeen years now, so just seeing the evolving technology is great. I think it's really important, really being able to look at how things are happening, where things are happening. We're just going live now with data analytics. You’re looking at that, and you're really being able to look at data and when we're implementing a new radio system and being able to see where a majority of your calls are to identify hot spots. And it's looking at car accidents and where they're occurring or call types of where they're occurring. So, technology is just so really important now in having those statistics, and it really helps us justify the changes that we want to make.
Josh Henderson: From Tyler Technologies, it's The Tyler Tech podcast, your source for insightful conversations with thought leaders addressing the pressing issues in our communities. I'm Josh Henderson, and I'm on the corporate marketing team here at Tyler. Thanks for joining us. In each episode, we dive into the essential topics shaping our society and shed light on the individuals, places, and technologies empowering the public sector. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a five-star rating and review, subscribing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and recommending the show to others.
On today's episode, we're joined by Everett Erichsen.
Everett is the director of the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services in New York State. And today, he shares the remarkable journey of their emergency services implementation of a text-to-911 solution. We'll hear all about the daily challenges their communication center faces in preserving life and property, and how the ability to text during an emergency has been a game changer in the county. We'll explore the immediate benefits this technology brought to their team, from enhancing their ability to locate individuals in distress to improving overall coordination and efficiency.
Everett also discusses the broader implications for public safety, including benefits for the hearing impaired and those involved in domestic disputes.
This was a truly insightful conversation about how Ulster County is leveraging next-gen technology to enhance emergency response and ensure community safety.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Alright, Everett. Thank you so much for joining me on The Tyler Tech Podcast today. I've already been talking to you a little bit about this, but our whole staff is really captivated by some of the stories that you sent to us from Ulster County, involving the text-to-911 solution that you all implemented.
Can you sort of describe for me the initial challenges your 911center faced before implementing the text-to-911 solution?
Everett Erichsen: Yeah. Sure. So, I mean, I think that it's important to look at, holistically, Tyler has all this great technology. And public safety, what can we do to provide the best services to ensure that when anybody needs to reach out, we can get them the resources they need.
Because when they're calling 911, they're reaching out to 911, it's most likely the worst day of their life. So, at times we were receiving a text to 911, but we weren't able to respond.
And we would call that number where we received a text from. They may not answer. And it’s kind of, you're in limbo. Like, what's actually happening here?
How do we get them the assistance that they need? So, in New York we really haven't moved to that next-gen 911 yet. So, we needed to really find software that we could use to start meeting these needs.
I mean, technology is changing. The way people communicate is changing. And you walk around, everybody's texting, and that's a majority of it nowadays.
Like, people don't even want to be on the phone. They don't want to call; they want to text. So, that was a need that we felt we needed to meet.
Josh Henderson: That's great. And now, like I said, you offered us a couple stories after implementation, success stories, if you want to call them that. Stories where it helped an individual out. So, can you walk us through a couple of the incidents Ulster County has experienced so far and how that solution has really made a difference?
Everett Erichsen: Yeah. So, we went live last year with text-to-911 through a digital and Tyler interface, and we were really very successful. We were told by our other partners or other agencies out there oh, you're not going to really see a huge increase. It's more of, you're texting back, just confirming that it was a missed dial because it was a hang up 911 call. And, realistically, that's truly not the case. Just last year, we had 100 instances where we use text-to-911. Not just out outgoing text to confirm this dial, but actual conversations where it was a 911 incident.
So, the numbers are there. And I think that's just, again, a change in what we're seeing with how people communicate in today's day and age. But right after our soft go live, we did receive an initial phone call, third party, from a mother who stated that her daughter was supposed to be at a basketball game, wasn't there, and was in trouble. So, we had the number.
We tried calling. They picked up, but it was an open line. We really couldn't really hear what was going on. And then the line went dead, and the daughter had actually started texting us.
So, we started responding by text, and we were able to obtain a lot of printed information about actually where she was, what was actually going on. She had locked herself in a bathroom, she was being harassed, and she was scared.
So, we were able to dispatch emergency responders to the scene of where she was and get her the help that she needed. It resulted in an arrest. So, obviously, she was in some type of danger.
So, that was right after our soft go live. We wanted to make sure that there were no bugs or anything like that. This is new to us. We had just gone through our training. It was really new to the community.
And to me, that was a great success story right at the beginning.
Josh Henderson: Yeah, it really speaks to how people might use it for instances where they don't necessarily need to use it. But in cases where it's absolutely imperative that they use it, because they're in danger, that’s really, really important.
Alright. So, Everett, I understand too you had an example of something that happened recently where you kind of flipped the text-to-911 to where you were, on the communication side, you were utilizing the solution.
Everett Erichsen: Yeah. We had an instance, a few weeks ago, where our phone system had temporarily gone down. And that was a little nerve wracking, like, how are we going to take calls?
So, we were still able to identify the calls coming in, through RapidSOS, which we have integrated through Tyler. So, we're able to identify that call coming in, and then we use text-to-911 to text back. So, a call came in, the dispatcher recognized the call coming in through RapidSOS.
And they immediately initiated a text back to find out exactly what the emergency was. So, it was definitely beneficial to us to have an additional plan during what was a total loss of the system. And although it was temporary, just knowing that you're not going to miss anything during that gap is so important.
Josh Henderson: Yep. Obviously, not an ideal situation, but a situation that you're able to handle because of this.
Everett Erichsen: But, again, it's the technology that’s there. It's how do you make the technology operational for you, and the situations that you get put into. It’s just not like you said, it's just not, okay, it's there, people can text us now, but how do we use it operationally to really benefit the public as a whole?
Josh Henderson: Now let's move over to the communication center's side of things. So, from your perspective, what immediate impacts did you observe in the communication center's efficiency and effectiveness after the implementation happened?
Everett Erichsen: Yeah, it really came down to having the ability to answer those texts that were coming in. That was really, really huge. Coming to the training, it was not a big lift at all. We trained them on shift, our CAD administrator and I have an amazing team.
I mean, from my deputy director who runs the 911 center, Andrew Cafaldo, Lisa Conklin, who's our CAD administrator and trainer, they really work with our people. They make sure that they're successful in everything that we do. So, having an amazing team is, that's number one in being able to do that.
And then when you bring in this technology and really have the staff that's willing to accept the technology too. Sometimes you have to deal with that, and they were all very accepting of the technology.
And I think a lot of them felt too, it's like when these texts were coming in and we didn't have the capabilities to answer them. I think that that was worrisome to them as well. So, I think they were all in favor of it.
They were happy to see this happening and then being able to really answer them and really follow through on what was going on and really help those that are in need.
Josh Henderson: That's something we often hear is how important it is for the team to actually have the open mindedness.
Maybe that's not the right word, but the buy-in to be like, yeah, we're willing to take on a new technology, take on a new solution, if it's better for the overall outcome of our day-to-day, it's a great thing. So, that's great to hear.
Stay tuned. We'll be right back with more of The Tyler Tech Podcast.
Hi, podcast listeners. My colleague Jade Champion and I are here to let you know that City Hall Selfie Day is quickly approaching, and it's time to start brainstorming innovative ways for you and your organization to participate.
Jade Champion: That's right, Josh! City Hall Selfie Day is Thursday, August 15th, and is organized by the Engaging Local Government Leaders Association, also known as ELGL. They created this fun event for people who work in and with local government.
Josh Henderson: And here at Tyler Technologies, we're all about empowering those who serve the public, so we wanted to make sure you knew about this special day so we can celebrate you.
Jade Champion: I might be a little biased, Josh, but I think City Hall Selfie Day is one of the best days of the year. We love seeing all your smiling faces in selfies that showcase your love for local government.
Josh Henderson: And it's so easy to participate. Just take a creative picture of yourself or a group photo in front of a local government building, like a city hall, then post it on social media with the hashtag #CityHallSelfie.
Jade Champion: And don't forget to tag Tyler Technologies on social media so we can see all your fantastic selfies too. ELGL will be awarding prizes in different categories, including the funniest selfie, most creative, and many more.
Josh Henderson: For some ideas of innovative pictures and poses, check out our show notes for links to examples and go to elgl.org/cityhallselfie for more info. Info. Get those cameras ready and show off your local government pride on City Hall Selfie Day. Now let's get back to The Tyler Tech Podcast.
I want to talk about, in the case of involving multiple agencies in this scenario, how did the technology facilitate better coordination and information sharing?
Everett Erichsen: So, we're really big in Ulster County with interoperability.
We went to a county-wide system back in 2018 when we went live with Tyler. We've been a Tyler customer forever, I mean, from the AS/400 days. So, a really long time.
But in 2018, we went live with a CAD system, law enforcement records, fire records, mobile mobility, we have the suite, and it's throughout the entire county.
All our fire, police, and EMS agencies are using our system. And then in our surrounding counties, we used CAD to CAD. And that's really where we see, with the interoperability in text-to-911, we're inputting the information, those texts, they carry right over into CAD.
So, not everybody sees what's actually happening, and they have good information, live information on what's going on. And recently we had another instance where we had taken a text, the individual texting us was in trouble.
They were in a vehicle. They were moving, and they were going into our adjacent county. And we were able to transfer the call by CAD, doing CAD to CAD. And then while we continued the text messaging back and forth, the other county was able to see all the updates, and they were able to dispatch the appropriate resources, do a vehicle and traffic stop, and handle the situation.
So, again, there's all this great technology, how do we use it, and how do we make it operational for public safety?
Josh Henderson: I'm curious to get your take on how the community has responded to the introduction of text-to-911. I know you mentioned to me before we started recording that a lot of people assumed it was a thing already, before it was implemented. So, just walk me through that a little bit.
Everett Erichsen: I mean, looking at technology in today's day and age, you see people, they're texting nonstop. A lot of people don't even want to talk on the phone anymore. Like, oh, I'll just text you. They don't want to have that phone conversation.
So, I think it was assumed we were getting text messages, and we weren't able to respond. So, we put this out. We didn't hear a lot back about it.
We saw a little bit of an increase. We always recommend that you call 911 rather than text 911. Calling is obviously the best way to notify anyone that you're having an emergency. But there's those situations where they can't talk on the phone.
And having the ability to today's day and age, 2024, to really provide that to them and being able to get help when they need it when they can't physically speak is very, very important.
Josh Henderson: And sticking to the community aspect of it all, it's also an accessible solution. It speaks to the accessibility of the technology.
Have you heard anything from, for example, the hearing-impaired community or anything like that about the implementation? Or what have you heard from the community aside from that?
Everett Erichsen: Nothing from the hearing-impaired. I really haven't heard anything there.
A few it's great that you have this, we thought that you did have it.
I just think that so many people assumed that it was there, and it wasn't.
Josh Henderson: Are there any future enhancements or additional features you're looking forward to implementing in your communications? Like, are there still any challenges in the solutions that you hope to overcome?
Everett Erichsen: I think to me, interoperability is the biggest thing. Ulster County has 48 fire departments, 13 police agencies, and 17 EMS agencies, so there's a lot of different things happening. New York State has home rule, so you have each individual agency has their own authority, their own authority having jurisdiction.
So, trying to get everyone to work together and really using the Tyler systems that we have, the modules that we have, has really brought everyone together to really share information, which at the end is safety for the public, but also safety for the first responders. Everything's been very beneficial to things that we've implemented. Tyler always has new stuff coming out, so we're always looking to see what's happening and how we can make our systems better.
You know, next gen 911 for 911 centers for those that don't have it is huge. In New York state, we're really working towards that now.
That’s a whole larger picture, that those are the things that we're really looking forward to.
Josh Henderson: I probably should’ve asked this off the top, but I'm curious, with the amount of time that you’ve spent at Ulster County, how significant has the implementation of technology in general been, in your experience?
Everett Erichsen: I mean, it's been huge, it's been huge. I've been in emergency services for 17 years now.
So, just seeing the evolving technology, I think it is great. I think it's really important, really being able to look at how things are happening, where things are happening.
We’re just going live now with data and analytics. You're looking at that and you're really able to look at data, and when we're implementing a new radio system and being able to see where the majority of your calls are to identify hot spots. And it's looking at car accidents and where they're occurring or call types of where they're occurring.
So, technology is just so important now and having those statistics really helps us justify the changes that we want to make. When it comes to budget season, when I can pull this data, it's tremendously important.
It really helps me do my job.
Josh Henderson: I just want to ask you one last question. I think this has been really valuable, the insights that you've provided us with today. I’m curious what strategies you're going to use, I guess it's still a relatively new thing that if we're speaking directly to the implementation. But what strategies do you believe Ulster County should be using or are using to increase public awareness of the implementation?
Everett Erichsen: I mean, when we first went live with it, we started hitting social media. Social media is a really big thing in today's day and age.
So, we had put that out in social media. You know, we let people know. We always put a disclaimer at the bottom that the best way to contact us is by phone.
But in the situation where you can't, we do have this capability.
We keep on talking about it even when we receive a text-to-911, the initial response is where are you? What's happening? Are you able to call 911? Please do so. We put that in there just because it's so much easier to get information. It's a lot quicker.
But you have to have those backups. It's so important to have those plans b's and c's all the way to z, to really provide the services to the public. It's all about them at the end of the day.
Josh Henderson: I think that's a perfect place to end that. Thank you so much, Everett. Thanks for joining me today. We appreciate it.
Everett Erichsen: Thank you.
Josh Henderson: We hope you enjoyed this conversation with Everett Erichsen. If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of public safety solutions and other topics discussed throughout the episode, check out our show notes for more resources.
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For Tyler Technologies, I'm Josh Henderson. Thanks for joining The Tyler Tech Podcast.