When it comes to first responders being successful at their jobs, the first thing they need is to know where the emergency is. The 911 service is crucial to getting help to those who need it. But, just as with any technology, problems can arise unexpectedly. For example, Ohio residents experienced this first hand when a pipe burst in AT&T’s Akron facility earlier this year and took out 911 dispatch communication capabilities in four counties for almost an entire day. An alternate emergency number was broadcast and radio frequencies were used to communicate with emergency personnel, but services were slowed dramatically until connections were restored.
Unfortunately, the reliability of telephone and Internet connections is more often than not out of the hands of emergency service providers, but disruptive events related to communication services are not the only technological issues first responders can run into. Outdated and insecure hardware can be just as damaging to emergency personnel as lost connections, if not more so since problems that can be caused by faulty or out-of-date devices can last for days, weeks and even months.
Keep critical systems running with Deep Freeze
Computers are the backbone of almost every communications system these days. If organizations are relying on old programs to keep their devices running, they will likely be disappointed with the results. For organizations with tight budgets, or those that simply don’t consider IT to be a core competency, maintaining technological infrastructure can be a daunting task. Making sure software and operating systems are up to date and any vulnerabilities are defended is a full-time job and those unprepared for it can let things step through the cracks.
Luckily, Faronics offers a program that takes the stress and confusion out of system maintenance and provides first responders with a way to keep their hardware running reliably. The Faronics Deep Freeze solution ensures 100 percent availability for IT systems at dispatch centers or in the field so emergency personnel can focus on serving their communities instead of on their communication systems. Deep Freeze also offers a reboot to restore feature that allows IT administrators to wipe away the damage caused by any harmful programs or malicious files with a single action so systems are able to run at peak performance at all times.
