An Introduction to the Impact of Innovation
INdigital is a research and development company specializing in high availability 9-1-1 and supporting public safety systems.
Guest blog written by
Laken Detweiler
Social Media Specialist - INdigital
I’d like to officially introduce myself, I am Laken. I have been with INdigital for over a month now, and I am excited to bring my background in social media to a different field! I come from an athletics background, so there has been a learning curve, but I have already learned A LOT in my short time.
Once a month, INdigital will be writing a guest blog post for Within the Trenches, sometimes it will be about the technology INdigital has for you, other times it will be something more personal. Honestly, the opportunities are endless!
By now you’ve heard that INdigital is a network sponsor of Within the Trenches, so let’s briefly talk about who we are and what we do. “At INdigital we believe in developing for the future, in going above and beyond current standards, and in improving 911.” Pretty straight forward, right? We are here to provide that next step in efficiency and effectiveness.
I have learned a lot about public safety communication, as well as how INdigital’s products impact PSAPs across the country. The one that really gets me is MEVO. About three weeks ago, I learned that there are three different versions/types of MEVO. And let me tell you, everything made a bit more sense after that. I’d heard stories of how the MEVO Optimal Service Button was pushed after a bomb was found in a building, how MEVO Anywhere was utilized as a command post for a chemical fire in a small county, even how it has been used at big events like races and county fairs. Now knowing there are three different types, it makes more sense how this was all done.
We have MEVO Core, Edge and Anywhere, and they all offer backup and disaster recovery, but they’re all a bit different, too.
MEVO CORE
MEVO Core is tied to INdigital’s core network. It has direct access to our Next-Gen Core Services (NGCS) call processing elements controlling 911 service delivery to PSAPs with INdigital as the 911 System Service Provider (SSP). MEVO Core is a server, or group of servers, functioning within an INdigital ESInet with remote MEVO phones connected to them. The phone sits near your primary answering positions.
I had the chance to talk to the director of Ozark-Dale Co. 911 in Alabama, Paula Simmons, about how MEVO Core made her job much easier in a dangerous situation. On March 19, 2019, the chief deputy of the sheriff's office called to inform her that her dispatchers needed to evacuate the building. Long story short, a search warrant was conducted, bags were brought back to the station, and one of the bags contained a bomb.
Paula’s next step was easy because of MEVO. “That was our first time using the abandon button [on the MEVO phone], and calls started going to Dothan-Houston County 911, it was a very simple process...because of MEVO. If we wouldn’t have had that in place it would’ve probably been a disaster and 911 calls would have been missed.”
In my mind, I was picturing a big red button with the word “ABANDON” written in white. It turns out my imagination got the best of me, but I reigned it in. On your MEVO phone’s home screen, there is an option to reroute 911 calls. You click that and then have three options: Primary CPE, Backup MEVO, and Abandon PSAP. It’s a white button with blue letters; nothing like I envisioned.
“I just really want to stress that if we did not have the MEVO phones and that set in place, it would’ve really made my job harder, and harmful for Dale County trying to route those calls,” said Simmons. “On our old system, it wasn’t that easy to just get 911 calls to Dothan-Houston County.”
MEVO EDGE
Next up is MEVO Edge, which is a fully independent 911 and administrative PBX backup and disaster recovery system. It allows PSAPs the ability to maintain 911 and PSTN call handling operations locally during interruptions in service to primary systems. You will see Edge utilized when INdigital is not the 911 SSP. It functions within the local PSAP network and resides next to the call handling systems controller(s).
Edge is very similar to Core in that it protects your 911 and administrative calls to your PSAP. 911 and/or admin calls that can not be delivered to your primary call handling positions can automatically be rerouted to ring on your MEVO phones so your PSAP can stay active. MEVO Edge server(s) sit locally at your PSAP and do not have direct access to your 9-1-1 network, because INdigital is not your SSP. If there is a network issue and calls can not be delivered to your PSAP by your SSP, the MEVO phones will not operate either. This is the biggest difference between MEVO Edge and MEVO Core. In the end, though, MEVO Edge provides you reliable local backup when your primary call handling system is unavailable to answer calls.
MEVO ANYWHERE
And lastly is MEVO Anywhere. This “mobile” deployment kit provides PSAPs with the ability to connect to the ESInet securely through any location that has access to the internet. After being connected, 911 and PSTN call handling are available via the MEVO IP Station(s) contained within the kit. MEVO Anywhere serves as a backup and/or remote 911 call handling system that can be deployed in a few different ways: a ruggedized case, emergency response vehicle, or an Emergency Operations Center.
Gallatin, KY uses its MEVO Anywhere kit at the Kentucky Speedway during the NASCAR coverage and all calls related to the speedway are transferred to the MEVO which is onsite. They also utilize it during critical incidents as a command post. This specific example, they were able to set up in the back of a truck during a chemical fire to centralize communication.
In the small county of Gallatin, Kentucky, MEVO Anywhere is used for a handful of things. As System Administrator Ryan Bailey pointed out, they are a small county with few resources, so when a critical incident happens, the dispatcher on duty has to manage the incident and maintain the rest of the county. In cases like these, they use their MEVO Anywhere to help take some of the pressure off the dispatcher, so he or she can focus on other incoming 911 calls.
For example, they use it at the Kentucky Speedway for races. Bailey explained that the intention is to use the MEVO Anywhere kit and utilize its phone to transfer calls related to the Speedway during the NASCAR coverage. It keeps them from having to pack up a call handling position at their PSAP and move it out to the Speedway to manage the event and its calls.
“The main thing is that dispatchers have to be multitaskers,” said Bailey. “There is only so much a single person can do. Having the MEVO allows us to take that pressure off the dispatcher and allows them to focus on incoming emergencies as we focus on the large-scale incident.”
Backup and disaster recovery is the name of the game, and from everything I’ve learned these last few weeks, INdigital has got you covered! Now, did you get those three options down? Because we’ve got something new coming soon, so keep your eyes and ears open. We are developing for the future. We always want to go above and beyond the current standards and improve 911, it’s what makes us an industry leader in Next-Gen Core Services.
About INdigital
INdigital is a research and development company specializing in high availability 9-1-1 and supporting public safety systems. In 2004, INdigital was selected by the Indiana 9-1-1 Board to build a new type of 9-1-1 network, which later became known as Next Generation 9-1-1. The company built the first large scale public safety network of its kind in the United States. Over time, the company has continued to evolve, and pioneered some of the most advanced services available in our market segments. The company is a strong advocate of industry standards and interoperability, critical to improving public safety. The company provides service in multiple states and regions and provides service directly and through business partnerships and operating agreements. To learn more information about INdigital visit