5 minute read
911 INet - A Clear Signal
In The Fight to Bring Better Aid
By Sarah Algoe
Since its naissance, radio communication “has always been controlled by the big boys,” says Javier Garcia, director of 911iNet, an emergency response service revolutionizing the industry.
“Motorola, Kenwood, Harris. They only allow so much technology out at a time, which limits the ability of emergency response agencies to provide the best product for the best price.” This bottleneck is one of the primary factors contributing to the degradation of crisis communication systems nationwide.
911 INet aims to fix that.
A police officer for over 30 years, 15 of which he spent as chief, Garcia saw firsthand how expensive and unsustainable municipal radio communications can be. Every city has multiple antennae and repeaters which allow emergency services to communicate, a vital infrastructure that is supported by the civic funds. “They have to do the maintenance and the backend support, and it’s very costly,” says Garcia.
An entrepreneur in both vision and execution, Garcia has found a way to combine new technology with old school business acumen to connect the world, save lives, and protect communities, all from his 911 INet headquarters in Phenix City.
“Nobody wants to be a policeman or a firefighter anymore because of the perception of that trade. Your first line in the public safety world is your 911 operator, which is a very crucial part of the chain. You can’t really do anything without that role.”
However essential to emergency response, these systems have a limited lifespan. “Columbus’ communication is being paid for by taxpayers,” says Garcia. “That system is $10-12 million, if not more, and needs to be upgraded soon.” As city funds are limited, this upgrade could end up costing millions more. “I know how difficult it can be to get resources to build those networks - it’s always coming off the back of the citizens or taxpayers for something that could be far more affordable if you eat from a bigger pot,” Garcia says.
He realized that “we can utilize the resources all of those people have in their cell phone network. Everyone who pays for a cell phone is helping pay for our infrastructure.”
This “bigger pot,” as ascertained by Garcia, is the network utilized by large cell phone companies. “(It’s a) very resilient system. It’s always growing and getting more advanced. As cell phone technology grows, we grow. Our current radio system works from one end of the country to the other. There are no limits and no borders.”
There are two divisions to 911iNet: radio/hardware, and emergency dispatch. Shelby Dunn, recently appointed as head of dispatch communication, says “One of the coolest things is that when dispatchers in general are short handed, we can join with our system and take the calls and dispatch the officers.”
Another issue facing crisis communication is the labor shortage in public service. “There’s a lot of issues with shortages of employees, especially in the public safety side,” says Garcia.
INet’s partnerships with cell phone networks, and the revenue those create, offers them the ability to “bring someone in at a higher rate of pay than a municipality,” says Garcia. “It just works that way in the private sector. The municipalities can only pay their people from revenue and taxes that they get from the citizens. Having a national footprint allows us to feed from a larger pool of people, and allows me to pay my employees more.”
With more than a dozen employees answering emergency calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week, several emergency communication aid stations for assistance after natural disasters, and two mobile command centers that double as dispatch offices, Garcia’s solutions are creating a real difference.
When asked about future growth potential for his business, Garcia says he is excited by the possibilities.
“The sky’s the limit. We just did a radio system for a pretty big metro Atlanta jurisdiction, 380 radio systems for the whole county: a whole school system, ambulance police, public works, all for less than a million, and that includes service for a year.” Constantly expanding, 911iNet dispatches for agencies around the country. “We are currently the primary dispatch for an agency in Montana,” says Garcia.
It is small businesses like 911iNet that seek to provide Phenix City, Columbus, and the surrounding areas with smart business solutions that build our local community and extend nationwide. Garcia’s identification and remediation of a very real issue affecting the safety of our friends and neighbors is inspiring, and may inspire others to follow their own dream.
If you’d like to get in touch with Javier or reach out to find out more, the dispatch center is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week year round. If you have an emergency please dial 9-1-1. The office phone is: 833-NCC-INET (833-622-4638). Public Safely Liaison: 844-626-2788 ex: 700. info@911inet.com. They are located at 1803 Crawford Road, Phenix City, AL.
