Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has announced the implementation of the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol to Public Safety Answering Point (ASAP to PSAP) Initiative by Suffolk County Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services (FRES). This innovative program is a software interface that allows automatic alarm companies to send alarms directly to PSAPs without the need for an alarm company operator or a PSAP call taker. Suffolk County FRES, as the processor of Fire and EMS calls only, is the first and only non-law enforcement PSAP to implement the system in the Country.
“When dealing with emergencies, especially fire and health related, every second counts,” said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. “The ASAP to PSAP program drastically decreases processing and response times of critical services, and prevents errors that can occur when having a human operator. I have no doubt that saving this necessary time and ensuring the response teams are properly informed will help save countless lives.”
The software was created and designed in a cooperation between Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA) and the Association of Public Safety Officials (APCO). The use of data communications significantly reduces processing time and virtually eliminates errors that are inherent in voice communications, ensuring that accurate information is being transmitted to the PSAP.
Since the implementation of ASAP to PSAP, FRES has seen the average processing time for automatic alarms drop from an average of two minutes to just under 10 seconds. The result can be an increase in the likelihood of a fire being more quickly extinguished and could be a major difference in a medical emergency patient, when every second counts.
The ASAP platform does not impact the monitoring centers initial actions, the alarm being received, nor the efforts being made to verify the alarm with the customer. ASAP enters the picture when the PSAP needs to be alerted of an emergency.
In conjunction with the ASAP roll out, FRES now offers a web interface for the local fire house dispatcher, so that the individual can leverage the time saving connection rather than make calls looking for a representative and providing disposition.
