Supporting Public Safety through Technology.
Application Development
Microsoft Windows
The City of Leawood, located in Johnson County, Kansas, within the Kansas City metropolitan area, has a population of approximately 34,000. The Leawood Police Department, formed in 1949, has grown from a volunteer force to an agency of about 60 officers. The department, in collaboration with NvisionKC, embarked on a project to review and modernize their internally developed dispatch dashboard used by dispatchers 24x7 in providing public safety services.
The existing dispatch dashboard, a critical tool for emergency call dispatchers, was built on an Access database with AutoIT scripting functions. It aggregated multiple systems into one view, facilitating quick access to data. However, the impending retirement of the dashboard's developer and the system's limited supportability in the immediate aftermath posed significant challenges. There was a pressing need to document the application's scope, features, and use cases, and to find a suitable support model going forward.
Having years of experience working with public safety, NvisionKC was enlisted to perform a comprehensive discovery of the application. This involved documenting existing screens, functions, use cases, and ensuring end-to-end CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Systems) compliance. The engagement aimed to provide documentation that could be used by City of Leawood IT and third parties to provide support, and newly hired dispatchers to provide a basic overview of system functions and features.
By partnering with NvisionKC, the Leawood Police Department secured a robust documentation foundation for their dispatch dashboard, ensuring its operational longevity and compliance with CJIS standards. The knowledge transfer from the retiring developer to the documentation also minimized the risk of knowledge loss and supported the training of new dispatchers. The future-proofing of their dispatch system aimed to enhance response efficiency and maintain the high standards of public safety service delivery.
The collaboration between the Leawood Police Department and NvisionKC demonstrates the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing technology sustainability challenges. Through proactive measures and expert assistance, the department ensured that their vital dispatch dashboard remains a reliable tool for their dedicated dispatchers, ultimately contributing to the safety and well-being of the Leawood community.