The City of Oakland has entered a new era of emergency response management with the completion of a major technological overhaul, its first in two decades. Yesterday, city officials heralded the successful launch of the new Motorola PremiereOne Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system for the Police and Fire Departments. This upgraded CAD system, which replaced an outdated one that had served beyond its years and lacked Motorola support, is now fully operational.
Mayor Sheng Thao, expressing a commitment to improved public safety, stated, as per the City of Oakland, “Oaklanders deserve to feel assured that when they dial 911 in an emergency, someone will be answering swiftly to start dispatching the emergency responders they need.” The new system, characterized by heightened functionality and security, aims to enhance efficiency through advanced technology and improve interagency communication. This marks a significant step, as the previous system had been in place for over 20 years, indicating the City's long-standing need to adapt to modern demands.
Oakland's Police Chief, Floyd Mitchell, underlined the benefits of the fresh CAD platform, praising its “enhanced user interface” and its capability to integrate with other information systems for improved emergency response coordination. Likewise, Fire Chief Damon Covington highlighted the importance of the upgrade for responding to the increasing volume of emergency calls.
According to the City of Oakland, It's been a journey of collective effort, as emphasized by Chief Information Officer Tony Batalla, who credited the Information Technology Department for their perseverance, “My team worked through weekends and around-the-clock shifts to support OPD and OFD on this upgrade.” This recent endeavor is part of a broader initiative to advance Oakland’s emergency response strategies, including staffing increases, operational streamlining, and introducing innovations like an auto-attendant for non-emergency calls to alleviate dispatcher workload.
