$1 million software system online

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office went online this week with a $1 million high-tech public safety software system from Spillman Technologies of Salt Lake City.

Undersheriff Paul Howell said the new software will provide the county with increased response, tracking, and reporting abilities as well as advanced computer-aided dispatch and mobile communications solutions to better manage jails in Minden and Stateline.

"The jail system and mobile data modules were big selling points to our agency," Howell said.

Howell said characteristics of the Spillman system including the rating system and ease of operation impressed officials.

"The Quickest Route dispatching was also a big factor in obtaining buy-in from our fire departments," Howell said.

The feature calculates the total drive time to reach a call by factoring for access barriers.

According to Howell, the Spillman system will enable the county to upgrade its correctional operations and manage multi-jurisdictional dispatching for local agencies.

"Our former software system was 20 years old," said Howell. "It is no longer supported by the parent company and isn't compatible with newer technology."

He predicted the new system would have a long-term impact on the county's ability to enforce the law and keep community members safe.

"The technology provided by Spillman products is going to take us light years ahead of where we were, said Howell. "I believe this will enable us to provide a more efficient and effective service to our citizens."

Spillman Technologies provides a full range of software solutions for public safety agencies, including computer-aided dispatch, records management, mobile communications, corrections management, fire/EMS management, resource management, and data sharing. The software is installed at nearly 700 agencies nationwide.