The city of Bethlehem, Pa., will replace its dispatch and record-keeping system with software from New World.

According to Bethlehem’s 9-1-1 Command Center Director Robert Haffner, New World’s Aegis Public Safety Software Solutions will:

* Enable dispatch to save time and eliminate duplicate entry

* Increase functionality and ease-of-use

* Help rescue units respond faster and better serve the community

The city selected New World because it needed a system capable of handling validation and separation between computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records management system (RMS) entries. The city also needed a system capable of integrating records sent by police, fire, and paramedics. Finally, the new system needed to support multiple jurisdictions within the region.

Haffner said New World replaces an ineffective system previously used for seven years.

“We ended up purchasing New World’s full public safety suite due to its functionality and integration,” Haffner said. “We started out with the CAD module, but quickly decided our fire and police departments could benefit from the functionality of the software, which is much more intuitive and seems to work much easier than our previous system. It’s going to make life much less stressful.”

Selecting New World was a part of an elaborate process, according to Haffner. When the city sent out its Request for Proposal (RFP), eight vendors responded. Haffner said Pennsylvania has 69 9-1-1 call centers in various regions throughout the state. Bethlehem is part of a region that includes 13 members. When the decision to select a new public safety software vendor needed to be made, Haffner asked the members of Bethlehem’s region to be a part of the process. He said eight of the 13 members participated in the demonstrations and were key in selecting New World as the city’s new vendor.

“One final consideration was reputation,” Haffner said. “It was essential for me to find a vendor that I felt had a good background in customer relations and in my research, I found that New World’s reputation solidified their selection. I am looking forward to going live with the new system and have thoroughly enjoyed working with New World thus far.”