Dispatch system for first responders
This is just an idea I am working on post Signal 2017.
About 4 years ago, I wrote a dispatch system for AlseaGeospatial to support "IncidentView for Android", then extended it to support "IncidentView for IOS" Apple messaging.
The system consisted of a Python server app listening for emails, parsing them, and sending out processed messages.
At Signal 2017, I learned about Twilio's new messaging system and decided I should write a new version of the dispatcher just for kicks.
What it does
The app receive messages from a 911 dispatcher, processes them, and sends out updates to subscribers.
There are a zillion 911 dispatch systems out there, there don't appear to be any standards for interop, but one thing they all seemed to have in common was that they can all send updates as emails. We took advantage of this by having a python program listen for emails, parse them, then send out notifications to a list of subscribers.
For the input side, each time I needed to work with a new dispatch system, I'd write a new plugin for it.
"Processing" means it needs to take the address in the message and geocode it. That means to convert it from a raw address (123 Main St) and convert it to geographic coordinates.
For output, I coded my own library to interface to Google GCM, Apple IOS, SMS and email as the messaging formats. The push messages (GCM and Apple) were for AlseaGeospatial's IncidentView. SMS and email were freebies I threw in; there are a lot of firefighters (especially volunteers) out there still relying on SMS and text pagers.
What I need to do
I don't work on IncidentView anymore, so I am cooking up a new idea for this demo project.
I wonder how I can get messages to go into a cellphone and have them trigger an existing mapping app? No idea on this right at the moment.
I have an idea that I could wire up my Garmin NuVI's Fleet Management Interface and send it dispatches.
