Public safety agencies are facing roadblocks like digital transformation hurdles, inflexible core systems, fragmented solutions and staffing shortages that prevent them from modernizing and adapting to comply with new regulations.
In October 2023, Thomson Reuters reported about how these challenges affect policing and how up-to-date technology can aid both residents and law enforcement officers. The article concluded, “The future of police and law enforcement lies in the ability to adapt and adjust to new technologies with the continued support of the community.”
Public safety platforms are the key to adapting to today’s needs because they provide a foundation of core systems and capabilities combined with flexible integration options to bring all an agency’s systems together. This makes workflows simpler, allowing agencies to digitally transform while continuing to innovate.
What is a public safety platform?
CIOs, city leaders and agency personnel often encounter research explaining the capabilities of public safety platforms as a potential solution to these problems, but much of that information lacks clarity. The importance of an effective platform cannot be understated.
“A public safety platform is the foundation of the entire public safety ecosystem,” said Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division Director for Portfolio Marketing, Jack Williams. “I would say a public safety platform is a set of integrated, fundamental capabilities that interface to other subsystems in the public safety ecosystem and provides the foundation for a tailored, holistic solution to meet an agency’s specific needs. Ultimately, a platform allows agencies to get the most out of their technologies and allows them to digitally transform. A public safety platform acts as the central nervous system of a public safety agency.”
The importance of interoperability and integration
Many agencies rely on multiple technology vendors, but disparate systems can lead to siloed information if agencies have inflexible core systems that lack integration capabilities, making interoperability challenging and sometimes impossible. A modern, flexible public safety platform provides a framework for interoperability, allowing seamless integration of subsystems and third-party systems and solutions.
“Agencies that emphasize interoperability and have integration capabilities across core systems enable innovation because agencies can take advantage of new technology from their vendors as it’s released,” said Williams. “A public safety platform allows you to grow and implement your vision for the future by combining core capabilities with flexible integration options to other subsystems within an agency’s technology ecosystem.
Public safety platform to fit every public safety segment
Each agency has different technology needs; this can be influenced by their size or geography, as well as what type of agency they are. From law enforcement to fire to EMS and ambulance, border security and even roadside assistance, a public safety platform is integral for systems to work cohesively. A next-generation, modern public safety platform addresses a variety of core needs and adapts and integrates with other systems, applications and systems to meet each agency’s specific goals.
The goal for technology is real-time information, but the information needed changes between agencies. In March 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a large investment in cameras to help give real-time alerts related to crime-involved vehicles. And in early April, Tennessee’s WVLT News reported that public safety agencies were completing training for field solutions that give officers real-time information.
Public safety platforms are about finding the technologies that fit best, according to Williams. “A public safety platform isn’t about getting every piece of technology that you can, but about getting the best pieces of technology that you need.”
Meeting regulations and innovating with Hexagon
With a public safety platform, agencies can have comfort that they have foundational core capabilities that allows them to employ the technology that is right for them, at the right time, at their pace.
“During Hexagon’s 40 years in public safety, we’ve been able to meet different regions’ varying requirements worldwide,” said Williams. “Hexagon’s public safety platform is built to be the central nervous system because we realize that every agency has different requirements and it’s important to have a next-generation, flexible solution that meets today’s needs and allows continuous innovation for the future. A public safety platform that provides core capabilities like easy integration with other third-party systems, applications and services to meet an agency’s specific requirements is the best way to meet operational needs. Hexagon cares about public safety agencies completing their missions, and we know their systems need to work well with each other. A public safety platform is the key to making that happen.”
