The courts have agreed that “any technology” used while on duty for government work is accessible by the court. That’s today’s standard. So the only interagency communication tool your union members should be using needs to be industry-compliant. Yet all too often, that isn’t the case.
Union Benefits of Inter-Agency Communications
The “consumer apps” like Signal, WhatsApp, GroupMe, and others work just fine for our personal lives, but they simply aren’t designed for police and first responders. Because of that, they can’t deliver true compliance for interoperability agency communication. Union reps need to be aware of these concerns.
We all understand the importance of protecting members from civil liabilities. But anyone who’s using a non-compliant app puts themselves, as well as everyone else in the agency, at risk. The consumer apps out there just aren’t meant for this line of work or the state and federal records retention requirements.
First responders need the ability to quickly share intelligence while on duty. And in order to avoid illegal activity, you need a solution that’s custom-built to automatically align the agency with today’s compliance standards.
Along the way, the solution needs to encourage intuitive interagency communication. It can still feel similar to the standard public messaging apps, but it needs to have better organization and be easy to use. Nothing complicated. Nothing that’s going to be difficult to onboard.
Make the Right Call for Interagency Communication
There should never be any doubt or question about the character of our first responders. Yet defense attorneys continue to become more aggressive in their efforts to collect personal phones. In this industry, ANY technology that’s being carried while working can be subpoenaed.
When teams use a compliant app for work communications, though, these risks go away. Since all of the data is stored in the individual user’s cloud account, the court can access records WITHOUT having to reach into the personal phone itself.
We can’t afford to overlook the risks of using a non-compliant interagency communication platform. Fortunately, the solution is easy. It’s called Evertel. Union representatives and labor associations can help protect their members by sharing this critical information.
Get True Interoperability Agency Communication
Genasys Protect CONNECT was developed from real-life policing experience. After serving for 27 years in both the Phoenix PD and with the Fort Worth PD as Chief of Police, Jeff Halstead knew there had to be a better way to achieve true interagency communication—one that would be fully compliant with the records retention laws.
For decades, we’ve been desperate for a tool that can help public safety professionals work faster and more effectively.
Now, interoperability agency communication has never been easier. With the CONNECT app, agencies all across your region, state, and even the country are able to collaborate in one place. It’s a completely scalable interagency communication platform. No matter the size of your agency or how many professionals you want to loop into the conversation, you can do all of your collaboration through CONNECT.
It’s a simple messaging app that was designed specifically for police, first responders, and other emergency management personnel. Even better, it’s incredibly easy to deploy. You can start with CONNECT today, without any demands on your IT department!
See CONNECT in action!
Schedule a live demo and get answers to your specific questions. See how CONNECT can drastically improve communication and collaboration in your agency
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