Tickets CAD Tickets CAD Computer-Assisted Dispatch application

software

Open Source

Free (as in beer!)

Web-based

More information: shoreas@gmail.com

CAD 101 - CAD 101 - What's Computer-Aided What's Computer-Aided Dispatch?Dispatch?

• Given an incident and response teams, we need toGiven an incident and response teams, we need to» Commit a team to an incident

» Monitor and manage progress

• ButBut » Where is the incident? What's its nature? What access is

available?

» Where are the teams? Which is closest? What is its status?

» How is it manned and equipped? How do we communicate?

• Bottom line: What's the situation?

• CAD: In the aggregate, may be the single largest consumer of geospatial

technologies

What's Available in the CAD Market?What's Available in the CAD Market?– For OK-funded jurisdictions, lots.

• See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Aided_Dispatch

• And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Dispatcher

– For volunteer-dependent communities and unofficial teams. • YSS, spreadsheets, home-grown solutions, ???

– Therefore Tickets.

The software is free.

You probably already have most of what's needed for CAD.

Low entry costs.

The ConceptThe Concept– Conceived during replay of '04 hurricane season experiences in a

rural Florida county EOC, with operations based on YSS.

– Requirements:

• Minimize entry cost – hardware, software, liveware.

• Design for installation and maintenance by users whose technical skills are secondary to primary job skills.

• Build on current Open Source initiatives with mainstream, freely available components.

• Take advantage of widely/freely available information sources, in addition to geo-spatial/mapping/GIS imagery.

• Require no more training than does, say, an eBay purchase.

• Avoid single-vendor dependence wherever feasible.

Tickets Candidates Tickets Candidates

• Teams with ... Dispatch tracking responsibilities

Location-based information needs

Information sharing requirements

Some available technical skills

Zero budget!

• Like ... Rural EMS and Fire Special police Animal control HAM events SAR RACES/ARES

– Everyone? (NO!)

Tickets Architecture and Tickets Architecture and RequirementsRequirements

A web-based application User already has software – any recent browser

OS-agnostic at client and server

Server requirements: PHP and MySQL (both free, Open Source)

Web server software (Apache or MS's IIS)

Gmaps license (free from Google)

At least medium-speed internet connection

Minimal hardware - can run on a laptop

Tickets Map/GIS CapabilitiesTickets Map/GIS Capabilities Based on integrating Google's Maps API

White Pages residential information base

Includes:

Address geo-coding USNG coordinates Reverse phone no. lookup Driving suggestions, responder to incident APRS position information via OpenAPRS SmartPhone GPS position via Instamapper Responder tracks Google's Streetview KML file integration

Tickets StatusTickets Status Mature beta – initial release in early 2007 Over 4800 downloads from SourceForge

https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=145201&package_id=170510&release_id=610718

Number of installations - ? Recent comments from ARES user on final slides Support

User discussion group at http://groups.google.com/group/open-source-cad

Developers

Tickets Log-inTickets Log-in Familiar browser look and feel

User levels are guest, user, admin, member, and super.

Situation – a light daySituation – a light dayOne severe, one medium, three normal incidents

Response Unit InformationResponse Unit Information

An Incident TicketAn Incident Ticket

Integrating Google's Streetview Imagery

Typical Incident Details Typical Incident Details

Call Board

Reports – gotta have themReports – gotta have them

Automatic email notification options– all incidents, when written

– high-severity only

– to unit - when dispatched

– email or 'texting', with automatic chunking

Smart-Phone support (limited for now)– Automatic position reporting and tracking via GPS

Portable laptops, via EVDO cell modem

Ham teams via APRS

Communications, Communications, Comm..Communications, Communications, Comm..

Mobile Unit Position Tracking via APRSMobile Unit Position Tracking via APRS

A Surprise A Surprise

From an ARES Tickets user, with permission:

“ ... I must say that Tickets has been a huge asset for a 100% volunteer department such as mine. Not many people even understand what Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) even does.... “

“In the volunteer world such as mine, the development of Tickets is one of the tools that has been a long overdue piece of the puzzle. ARES teams all over the U.S. (and like-wise teams from around the world) have always sent volunteer teams into dangerous places and never been able to track them in a way that government dispatch centers have... until now....”

“Knowing where you sent your team, seeing their movements with the APRS tracking, and compiling reports for later usage is something volunteer agencies critically need just as much as agencies that have lots of bucks to pay for the commercial version....”

(cont'd)

(cont'd)

“...With Tickets, I can now :

* Keep track of ALL my teams location, and movements * Add additional units "on-the-fly" if I request mutual aid from other areas (Like we just did with fires in our county) * Keep track of which members are available for dispatch, versus those that cant respond for one reason or another. * Add important ACTION comments to the dispatch to assist in keeping members informed of critical changes at the scene. * Compile reports that may be an invaluable asset later if any law enforcement or other agency should need data from us for prosecution of crimes * Keep rotating members, especially dispatchers, up-to-date with team movements and scene information. * Ability to track units ANYWHERE in the world the may be sent for mutual aid (Something most dispatch centers can't do) * Can implement this software almost anywhere I may later move in the world. (Again, something most dispatch centers can't do) * Use the built-in mapping system to help units find the street they need * See real-time traffic congestion in some major metropolitan areas and located alternate routes for my team to respond to calls * Afford this dispatch system

Tickets is the answer for volunteer groups that just don't have the money to implement dispatch software. ... “

Tickets - The Road AheadTickets - The Road Ahead

• Standalone, non-Internet capability.

• More Blackberry, etc., support

• Add developments/corrections, etc., to maps

• Document and photo support

• Expanded ham network integration

• Neighbors lookup - via Whitepages

• Team administration

• Suggestions welcome

Let's SummarizeLet's Summarize

We've discussed Tickets CAD highlights. Lots more, but ... .

Cutting to the chase:

It works

It's available

It's free

It may fit your team's needs

You're invited to join the Tickets CAD discussion group, at http://groups.google.com/group/open-source-cad

where you can always download the latest version.

Questions welcome