SD Statewide Interop App
BRIDGING PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH A SINGLE STATEWIDE INTEROPERABILITY APP
THE CASE FOR ONE STATEWIDE INTEROPERABILITY APP
The South Dakota Statewide Interoperability Council recognized the need for a single, statewide interoperability app to mitigate fragmented app adoption. As first responders around the state are rapidly expanding the use of mobile technology for various operational requirements, the portfolio of apps in use across the state had grown to over 100 in less than 2 years. The Council understood that the infancy of the technology limits the ability for interoperability and information sharing across platforms.
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFECOM guidance in the Technology Interoperability Continuum for the use of common applications, the state conducteda formal evaluation to select a single, statewide interoperability app and selected Bridge4PS.
BRIDGE4PS USE CASES
Bridge4PS has been utilized to enhance situational awareness and streamline information sharing during various operations across the State of South Dakota including the South Dakota State Fair, Sturgis Rally, POTUS July 4th Visit to Mt Rushmore, civil unrest, and various other daily operations.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
- Statewide app interoperability
- Support all public safety ops
- Network & device agnostic
- Scalable
- Affordable
HIGHLIGHTS
- Single, Nationwide Directory
- Private Channels
- Unlimited group members
- System Integrations
POINT OF CONTACT
Kendall Light
Radio & System Integration Engineer State Radio Communications BIT/SRC Engineering
South Dakota Bureau of Information Technology
@light.kendall.sd-bit
KEY BENEFITS
InteroperableCost EffectiveScalableNetwork & Device Agnostic
CHOOSING BRIDGE4PS
Bridge4PS is architected differently than most apps which create individual environments for each customer organization. This segmentation is important for use cases where agencies do not want to share information outside of their organization, but it limits multi-agency information sharing. Bridge4PS was selected for 4 primary reasons:
1. Inherent interoperability exists through a single, nationwide directory.
2. Cost-effectiveness of Basic (free) accounts for occasional users and Pro subscriptions for
those needing enhanced functionality
3. Bridge4PS is Scalable to support adoption by all first responders in the State of South
Dakota.
4. Network & device agnostic – Users can collaborate regardless of wired or wireless network or device type. Users in fixed posts can use it ona computer while field personnel can use it on Apple or Android devices across any cellular or other wireless network
The directory allows South Dakota to collaborate seamlessly across all users within the state as well as neighbouring states and around the nation. Private groups allow them to restrict information sharing to only authorized users per operation.
The state recognized the financial responsibility it must bear to facilitate adoption of a single statewide app. The availability of Bridge4PS Basic accounts offers both budget flexibility as adoption grows throughout the state as well flexible user onboarding during incident response.
“At this point in time, Bridge4PS is the only practical solution to provide the widest number of users in the state access.”
— Mike Waldner
South Dakota Bureau of Information and Telecommunication