Parma fire, police departments are still not Y2K-compliant

05/02/01

By DAMIAN GUEVARA PARMA - City officials are looking for a way to pay for an upgrade of computers used by police, firefighters and emergency dispatchers without crashing the city's finances.

"It's a 1980s way of doing things," Chris Castro, a computer administrator for the Parma Justice Center, said about the current system. "What we have now is kind of limited."

Public-safety officials want to replace their antiquated computers with an advanced system that would cost an estimated $1.4 million, Castro said. The overhaul, which would take two to three years, would improve an inefficient system that is not Y2K-compliant, she said.

Safety Director Bob Dybzinski has asked City Council to approve spending roughly $455,000 to pay for the first phase of the overhaul, but no action has been taken.

New software would improve record-keeping capabilities for police and fire departments, emergency rescuers, dispatchers and jail personnel, Castro said.

Dybzinski said workers have been forced to use a fictitious year in the 1990s when dating reports made after Jan. 1, 2000. They must then note the correct year in the report's text. That method is confusing and susceptible to error, he said.

Aside from improving record-keeping, the new system provides users with a digital map display including calls, units, alerts and other details.

Castro added that the new computer software ultimately would improve officer safety, emergency response capabilities and crime-solving abilities.

While council unanimously supports the new technology, the biggest concern is how to finance the project, Council President Charles Germana said.

E-mail: dguevara@plaind.com Phone: 216-999-4800

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 02, 2001

Answers

Looks like a case of windowing.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 02, 2001.

Martin Thompson,

Don't give up churnin' and burnin' the stories.

You're awesome, dude!!

Brendon

-- Brendon (Georgiabotz@yahoo.com), May 03, 2001.