Monroeville Lt. Steve Pascarella noted that the new system will allow officers to communicate with software programs used by outside agencies like PennDOT, something that the old system couldn’t do. "It’s a great system," said Pascarella.

While there were 17 bidders that responded to the request for a new system, "AlertTS, by far, exceeded the capabilities of the other bidders," said 2nd Ward Councilman Dave Kucherer.

The AlertTS software provides mapping for the dispatchers, so when they take an emergency call, the location of the caller automatically pops up on a map on their computer monitor. Another new feature, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), tracks the location of all patrol cars on the same map. This allows dispatchers to check the map to see which officers are closest to a scene or incident, and then send the closest unit.

"The Monroeville Police Department was looking for a reliable company capable of taking their department to the next level by offering some rather advanced technologies. We, at AlertTS, are very excited to work with them", said Brian McGrath, Director of Sales & Marketing for Alert Tracking Systems. "Improving processes, like adding In-Car Reporting and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), leads to a more efficient department, and more importantly, a safer community."

Monroeville’s Assistant Chief Doug Cole explained that while the city has in-car laptops, with the old system officers still had to go back to the station to enter reports. With the new system from AlertTS, officers can enter reports on the in-car laptops, thus "cutting down on time spent at the police station instead of out on the road."

So while one goal of the new system is to save trees by eliminating paper reports and switching to electronic reporting, it serves another goal of keeping officers out in the community they serve. This, in turn, helps the city achieve its ultimate goal: saving lives.

About Alert Tracking Systems

Alert Tracking Systems is a privately held company specializing in providing innovative and comprehensive public safety solutions for Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS agencies. For more information on Alert Tracking Systems, please visit www.alertts.com.