This photo is stationed at the back of our Emergency Communications Center (ECC) – with Communications Center Coordinator Mateo Tarrats visible at the computer desk to the right.
Each desk station like the one where Mateo is sitting has a radio dock, with a radio system used to reach our officers out in the field, two phones to handle high call volume and our escort, dispatch and emergency lines, and five computer screens.
On the computer screens, Communications Officers have access to real-time alarm monitoring systems (for fire alarms and door alarms, which are tripped when someone holds a door on a university building open for too long after hours). The door system is electronically managed and timed differently for each day of the week.
On another screen, dispatchers keep CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch, which time-stamps calls for service, and runs a list of officers on duty, keeping track of who’s doing what in real time. They also have access to an intranet with numerous databases – the most important of which is an electronic phone and ID directory (with emergency contacts) of all SU students, staff, and faculty.
The televisions on the far wall show a live-synced list of Syracuse Police Department calls, University security camera feeds, and national news programs. Here’s a little-known fact about Dispatch: All camera feeds and phone calls are automatically recorded for later reference, and are time-stamped to monitor response time.