The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) has launched a new computer-aided dispatch system (FireCAD) to replace its now-retired STARFIRE system, Business Wire reported. The system was launched with the help of professional services firm Accenture, which designed and developed the platform.
The switch from the STARFIRE to FireCAD is one 45 years in the making, as FDNY said the legacy system was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and no longer met all the needs of the department.
“Ensuring that our technology can meet the demands of an evolving city is essential to the safety of our members and the public they bravely serve,” New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a release. “This is a significant step forward for technology for the department, and it has taken exceptional dedication from a team of technologists and fire alarm dispatchers. I know this new system will continue to support FDNY operations for a generation.”
FDNY is responsible for providing service to more than 8.5 million residents and fields more than 1.5 million 911 calls each year, the release says. FireCAD will be the dispatch system for these calls, which includes fires, as well as other public health incidents.
In addition to fire response and rescue and emergency medical services, FDNY is also responsible for responding to biological, chemical, and radioactive hazards.
“FDNY members respond to more types of emergencies than ever before,” FDNY deputy commissioner for Public Safety Technology and Dispatch Operations Jon Paul Augier said. “The FDNY is this city’s only all-hazards response agency, and our members require a robust CAD system with high-speed processing, 24×7 availability, and a highly intuitive dispatcher interface. FireCAD is that CAD system and it is the most reliable system of its kind.”
The contract to develop the system was awarded through a competitive procurement process and has been in development since 2017.
