[mikey742]

Does anyone use IMC for dispatch or is anyone familiar with it. My Department is going to it soon and I just want to know if there are any problems or bugs that I should be aware of. I have gone through it a little bit and it seems better than what we have now (ARMS) so I would like to hear what you guys and girls have to say about it.

 

[SPINMASS]

its a great program, although a little complex. PM with any specific questions.

 

[Curious EMT]

I use it.
If you're computer friendly and can remember the keyboard shortcuts, you'll find it very easy to use.

Also, its only as powerful as how much info is entered into it. Im not sure what you have in your CAD and what can be transfered over, but if you set it up to display PROPER districts of coverage, site info, person info, and even the map, it'll be great. We use it for everything. Reports, email, booking, etc. We dispatch police, fire, and ems, and also have other units in there like tow and mutuial aid, so we can keep good track of responce times for everything.
You can make custom screen setups, so if you like your setup to be one way, and someone else likes it another, you can easily each have your own profile. I like that.
If you have any q's, send me a PM.

EDIT: one thing I dont like is how it is relatively uneasy to enter info directly into CAD when taking a call for service. You have to enter a call type, method of recieving call, and the location before being allowed into the narative, so I always keep pen and paper next to the keybard. I can enter officer-initiated calls easily, but even alarm calls are somewhat tricky sometimes. Also, if you mess up on something regarding times, like a unit calls on-scene, but you dont arrive him in the software for another few minutes, and just double-click on him (arrives at current time) or hit ALT+f4 then space (space bar always enters current date/time), you cant go back and change that time until the call is completely closed, half the time I forget until I get home.
Also, the info database in regards to persons / vehicles is very nice. as soon as it picks up a similarity, it prompts you to copy in. And therefore lets you know you've had contact with them before. Also, the software will prompt you with "hazards" for people, vehicles, or locations, for arrests, warrants, 209a's, hazardous locations, and weapons permits. So again, the software is only as good as what you enter into it's files. Warrants, LTC's, 209a, and other things like that are very easy to enter. Also, when you look at someones file, you can tell if they're the caller, involved party, suspect, etc. What else.... Car stops, you can copy the owner info into the operator tab. We have space in there for racial profiling that the officers enter at the end of their shift. One thing I dont like is the inability to search by case numbers, like arrests, accidents, or even citation info. You can only seach by the date, unless you know what citizen was involved, then you can pull up their file and look under their call history. Otherwise its date/time on the "closed calls" tab, and look for the location.
Good software, but they clearly did not get enough consultation from experienced LEO or dispatchers.....

 

[chief801]

Curious,
You can look up by case number, accident, arrest, warrant number from the records side...

 

[Curious EMT]

Curious,
You can look up by case number, accident, arrest, warrant number from the records side...

?oh realllly?
I'll have to play around for a lil bit

Maybe its not available to someone loged in as a dispatcher, which is still a downside, as far as "we" are concerned....

 

[USB]

you might not have the security to view it, if not ask your admin to up your security settings. most admin give people the minimun access to get by, I find this bothersome.

 

[Curious EMT]

you might not have the security to view it, if not ask your admin to up your security settings. most admin give people the minimun access to get by, I find this bothersome.

As a part timer, I cant even read Arrest or Accident reports. Only Incident Reports.

regarding the hush-hush about things, I find a lot of it rather insulting. I know some depts where the dispatchers are required to attend roll-call. At my town, its secret-secret stuff.

Ya did a background check on me that would impress a state police background investigator, what else do you want? We work our butts off, never know the end result of a lot of the calls we take, never know whats going on durring our shift. Its very dishearting.

Anyways, I;ll have to play around in the software. There's ALWAYS a way in :-D

 

[mikey742]

Thanks guys I have been messing around with it and I like what I see. They have it install on the console computer so we can practice with it. I usually enter calls in to both the one thats keeping or records and IMC for practice. Hopefully they clear the system before they start going live with it or the crime stats might be a little off with the stuff I have been enter just messing around. LOL.


Curious that sucks for you we can read all reports except for I.A. and ex offenses. so we can see the outcome of the calls that we dispatch which I like.

 

[Curious EMT]

Curious that sucks for you we can read all reports except for I.A. and ex offenses. so we can see the outcome of the calls that we dispatch which I like.

I dont care to really know the outcome. Sometimes, but on the occasion I will just ask. But theres been many instances when the officer has asked me to look for info in a report while hes on a call, and he has to take the time and go back to his cruiser and prey hit MDT is working to logon and read it.

If you want to delete a call: Go to the closed calls tab, double click a call, go into "general" tab, click in any field so you can edit, then on the top toolbar in that section, click the grey trash can. That will delete it. Im sure a record is kept somethere, for security reasons, but that should delete it for you.

 

[jmaz]

From the checks in the dispatch screen, you can do a check on a person, you can click on the incident reports and arrest reports right from the person's info screen. I don't know if it will let you open it, if you have restrictions but it is another way to get to the incidents or arrests than from the records side.

 

[DoD102]

Yeah, not a bad program once you get used to it. Been using it on my PT job for about 10 years now. :2c:

 

[Curious EMT]

From the checks in the dispatch screen, you can do a check on a person, you can click on the incident reports and arrest reports right from the person's info screen. I don't know if it will let you open it, if you have restrictions but it is another way to get to the incidents or arrests than from the records side.

Yup. thats one way. I just went "playing". I can access arrests, not incident report.. :ermm:
Some things i just dont get