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Public safety benefits from digital transformation

Police and Fire

Microsoft webinar explores the digital future of public safety

Creating safer communities is everyone’s goal. But that is more challenging than ever due to COVID-19, and now even those who work to keep us safe are themselves in danger as well.

To meet these challenges, agencies are embracing digital transformation. This shift gives public safety employees the ability to make better-informed decisions, enables secure remote access for those now working from home, and creates opportunities for cross-agency collaboration. The result: trusted and secure services.

To help public safety agencies navigate this new normal, Microsoft is presenting a digital forum called “The Future of Public Safety.” Scheduled for January 19, 2021, at 7:30 AM PT, this forum is a great chance for you to hear from several of your peers on how public safety agencies can see the benefits of digital transformation while minimizing the risks.

I am looking forward to hosting and moderating this event. Public safety is a topic that I devoted my career to, both at the federal level with the U.S. Secret Service and as a municipal police officer here in the United States. Technology has a critical role to play in supporting first responders, emergency call centers, and post-incident investigations.

During this webinar, our panelists will dive into subjects such as:

• How mobile caller location changes the way that emergency centers operate.
• The role multi-language translated texts to and from an emergency dispatcher will play in incident response.
• How COVID-19 has influenced decisions around moving to the cloud.
• The benefits we are seeing from digital transformation in public safety.
• The “new normal” in public safety.
• How Microsoft can better support first responders.
• Community engagement, transparency, and accountability.

Joining me at this forum are some great representatives from the public safety community. They are:

Kirk Lonbom, Director, Public Safety and Justice Strategy, US State and Local Government, Microsoft. Kirk has four decades of experience in state and local government with the majority of his career focused on public safety. Kirk began his career as a police officer, serving in uniform, investigations, undercover and intelligence roles, and leadership. His transition from on the street experience to public safety technologist and strategist includes service as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Illinois State Police, CIO for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and Illinois’ first statewide Chief Information Security Officer. Kirk retired from government service in 2018 after serving as the CIO and cabinet-level Secretary for the State of Illinois. At Microsoft, Kirk helps to drive national strategy and business development for public safety and justice.

Brent Dyer, Executive Director, Information Technology & Infrastructure, Calgary Police Service. Dyer has invested 25 years into transforming police business through innovative IT solutions. He previously held the position of Director of Information Technology for nine years before securing his current role. A strategic thinker and planner, Dyer leads the IMTD team in the advancement of information technology in a changing and uncertain environment.

Budge Currier, 911 Branch Manager, Public Safety Communications, California Office of Emergency Service. Since 2011, Budge has served with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). In his current role as the 911 Emergency Communications Branch Manager, Budge is responsible for the 911 Network that supports 438 PSAPs with an annual call volume of 27 million 911 calls. He also manages the Emergency Communications Division, which coordinates the deployment of broadband services and the Tactical Communications Unit that provides communications coordination and response statewide.

During this forum, you’ll have a chance to hear from our panelists about how they see technology improving public safety. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions and discuss important topics with people facing the same challenges as you

Register today for this event by visiting our registration page. And check out our Public Safety and Justice home page for the latest information on how Microsoft is empowering agencies, improving operations, and protecting our communities.