Brown University Engages iXP to Review and Assess Public Safety Communications Center Operations, Technologies, and Facility

Sector: Higher Education

Focus: Communications Center Assessment

Started: 2007

Situation

Brown University, like many university campuses, is expanding into the surrounding community and seeks ways to provide a safer environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors on its campus in Providence Rhode Island. The campus is currently comprised of over 140 acres with over 230 buildings, many of which are intermixed with surrounding residential and business neighborhoods, a student enrollment of more than 8,000, and more than 4,600 faculty and staff. Consequently, the campus poses complicated public safety and security challenges.

Solution

iXP was engaged by Brown to review and assess the Department of Public Safety's Communications Center operations (current processes, procedures, workload and the operational impact of the technology), technologies (CAD, RMS, Access Control, CCTV, Alarms, Radio, etc.) and facility (utilities, single points of failure, work place efficiency, etc.) to support the service levels required by both the Department of Public Safety and Brown University. This information determined staffing functional and performance requirements, the best possible utilization of existing technology, systems, and the available space to facilitate the design of a larger Communications Center along with the design of a back-up Communications Center. Additionally, the Assessment produced recommendations regarding new technology and solutions that Brown could employ to increase the efficiency of the operations of the Communications Center.

We also examined all the campuses emergency call boxes and CCTV environment for existing locations, recommended changes and the possible use of Smart - CCTV technology. Each emergency call box location was assessed, and recommendations were made as to the effectiveness of the locations. In addition, a patrol work force assessment was completed that included assessing patrol responsibilities, staffing levels, and deployment. The added workload to the Communications Center staff with regard to recommended changes in emergency call boxes, Smart - CCTV, and patrol staffing and deployment was also addressed in the Communications Center operations assessment.

Result

iXP has completed work on the design and build of a back-up Communications Center and is working with Brown to move forward with the recommendations for the design and building of a new Communications Center and other technology improvements (i.e. CCTV / Smart - CCTV and Emergency call box upgrades). The completion of the back-up Communications Center ensures that public safety communications and life safety technology will experience zero interruptions during the building of the new Center.

Value Delivered. Problem Solved.