Dunwoody Successfully Implements CAD-to-CAD Interface

Technology Improves City's 911 Call Transfer Times and Accuracy for DeKalb Fire and Emergency Medical Services

Dunwoody, GA – December 28, 2015 – The City of Dunwoody successfully tested and implemented a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) interface for all 911 fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) creating a more expedient and accurate transfer process for all dispatched calls.

The city contracted with Chattahoochee River 911 Authority (ChatComm) to dispatch all emergency calls. Prior to the interface implementation, each call which necessitated a fire or EMS response required a ChatComm operator to use a ‘one-button transfer’ of the call into DeKalb 911. To surpass the ‘one-button transfer’ method and eliminate associated transfer times, the city coordinated the development of the CAD-to-CAD interface to connect ChatComm’s CAD system to DeKalb’s CAD system.

“The city worked in partnership with ChatComm and DeKalb County to see this important project through to completion,” said Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan. “Although the one-button transfer of calls is the industry standard for 911 Centers, the CAD to CAD Interface will provide an even higher level of service for our community.

In October 2011, the Chattahoochee River 911 Authority (ChatComm) began answering and dispatching Dunwoody’s 911 calls. Police service calls constitute approximately 90 percent of the City’s emergency call volume. Since the transition to ChatComm, the average amount of time needed to dispatch police calls has been cut in half, moving from an average of 4 minutes and 33 seconds down to an average of 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

DeKalb County continues to provide fire and EMS to the City including the dispatching of those resources. Since the transition to ChatComm, calls requiring fire or EMS have been transferred using the industry ‘one-button transfer’ standard. Fire and EMS calls constitute approximately 10 percent of the City’s emergency call volume or roughly 10 calls per day. By moving to a CAD-to-CAD interface the city seeks to save critical response time for 911 emergencies.

“We realized this type of investment was critical to try and further improve public safety and emergency call responses. I’m especially pleased to see this project come to fruition in order to ensure our citizens receive the fastest response times during a crisis,” said Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis.

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For more information regarding the City of Dunwoody, please contact Bob Mullen, Marketing and PR Director, at 678.382.6700 or bob.mullen@dunwoodyga.gov.

About the City of Dunwoody, Georgia

Dunwoody is located in metro Atlanta, in northern DeKalb County, Georgia and was officially incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008. The City of Dunwoody provides quality service to its citizens and supports the largest economic engine in the Southeast by planning in a careful and thoughtful manner. The City of Dunwoody is inventive, transparent and embraces responsible progress, tempered by the city’s rich history and strong desire to maintain a close and vibrant community atmosphere that values family life and the entrepreneurial spirit. The City of Dunwoody supports and nurtures a community dedicated to the preservation of family, education, religious institutions, and the environment.

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