Dispatchers have begun preparing software for the connected dispatcher system at the new Hays County co-location site.
Since its inception in 2017, Kyle Police Department (KPD) and Hays County Sheriff office officials planned to move in to the new emergency communication center by August and no later than September.
Buda Police Department, KPD and the sheriff’s office will be able to share information sooner and be on the same dispatcher system, which means more efficient response to 911 calls.
Lt. Mike Mallow with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office said the coronavirus pushed back software training, but dispatcher training will continue in July – a month later than expected.
By August, dispatchers will go live with the new software provided by Tyler Technology. Depending on construction timelines, once the building located behind the government center in San Marcos is completed,
dispatchers will move into the new building.
Mallow expects the office transition to be seamless and not affect 911 responses.
“On the day of movein, the night shift will complete their shift at the old building and the day shift will begin at the new building, right at six in the morning,” Mallow said.
Kyle police expect to be moved into the new Hays County co-location center by August and the dispatcher division has begun preparing the new dispatcher system.
Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said the dispatch division will go live with the new system in August and move into the new co-Location building 30 days later.
“We don’t want to give our team too many new things to learn at once. Once they have been trained and comfortable with the new software then we can get familiar with the new building,” Barnett said.
While they wait, dispatchers are manually filling in street addresses and other local back-end information into the Enterprise system to make it easier for dispatcher use in the future.
“This new system will allow calls to flow seamlessly for users and law enforcement. From a law enforcement perspective, it will make sharing valuable information quicker,” Barnett said.
The same company, Tyler Technology, that created the new dispatch system is also now responsible for the Kyle PD’s ticket writers. Barnett explained that officers’ ticket writers only have the option for one judge, Kyle Municpal
Court Judge Andrew Cable.
“Our ticket writers automatically go to one judge. The software needs to be upgraded by the company to give officers other options,” Barnett said.
