Key Considerations for Moving to the Cloud for Public Safety

As a public safety leader, you probably know of municipalities and agencies that have moved to the cloud. Hopefully you’ve talked with them about the pros and cons.

“Moving to the cloud” is a common expression, but oftentimes, people only have a vague sense of what it means. When a public safety agency “migrates to the cloud,” it means they are transferring their critical data, applications, and systems from their own on-premise servers to a remote cloud computing platform.

Examples of cloud computing platforms include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). They may also be called a cloud service provider.

After you’ve transitioned to the cloud, you can access and manage your information online through one of these service providers, instead of maintaining a physical infrastructure.

There is also cloud-based software, like Public Safety Suite Pro, that are hosted and run on AWS’s cloud infrastructure. 

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s explore the common concerns that public safety agencies have with the cloud, as well as its benefits. In this article, hopefully we can alleviate some of your concerns and educate you on “the cloud.”

Common Concerns With Moving to the Cloud

Data Security and Privacy 

From personally identifiable information to medical and criminal records, public safety agencies handle sensitive information. So when considering a move to the cloud, data security is a common concern.

Many agencies use on-prem systems to store and manage data. Since your IT team is maintaining the servers, your current system may feel more controlled and secure. 

With cloud computing, and during cloud migration, data is stored and processed on servers managed by third-party providers. Although these providers, like AWS, use advanced security measures, there is an element of trust needed. That’s why it’s important to choose a solution you trust, where data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

You may also have compliance concerns, since you’ll need to adhere to legal and regulatory standards like CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services). Public safety agencies need a cloud solution that meets these security standards, which requires thorough vetting of providers and continued monitoring of security practices.

Reliability

Before moving to the cloud, it’s important to understand if it’s a reliable solution for your agency. After all, in your line of work lives are on the line. 

Cloud systems are dependent on internet connectivity, so any internet outage could have consequences for emergency response. Without internet, certain systems may be forced to operate in a limited capacity, such as your CAD or RMS. Depending on your cloud solution, dispatchers should still be able to access basic information and dispatch units using stored data, but real-time updates and data sharing may be hampered.

Cloud computing does require dependency on third-party cloud service providers like GCP, Azure and AWS. Your agency will have to trust its provider to maintain high service levels and ensure system uptime, which is not always fully within their control.

To mitigate these concerns, public safety agencies often require guarantees of service availability and contingency plans, like redundant systems and backup procedures.

System Transition

As mentioned above, many agencies rely on legacy systems that are ingrained into their daily procedures and emergency response. It’s normal to question whether transitioning these systems to the cloud will disrupt operations. Will it delay your emergency response? Will the migration process impact service continuity?

Not only that, compatibility issues may arise, as older applications and data formats might not integrate with newer cloud-based tech. This requires careful planning and customization to ensure functional parity (when a new system has the same basic functionality as an old system).

During the transition, staff must also be trained to handle the new system while doing their jobs. Taking a strategic and phased approach to deployment can minimize operational disruptions.

Training

When considering a move to the cloud, public safety agencies need to make sure all personnel are proficient with the new technology. Cloud systems often introduce new workflows and tools that differ significantly from legacy systems.

Your emergency response could be compromised if staff aren’t comfortable using the new system. This could lead to delays or errors during critical operations.

Ongoing training may also be necessary to keep up with the continuous updates and new features that are typical of cloud solutions. Needless to say, ongoing training requires an investment of time, money and resources.

Benefits of Transitioning to the Cloud

Scalability 

Cloud solutions give your agency the flexibility to adjust resources based on demand. This adaptability is particularly important during unexpected emergencies or natural disasters, when your storage and data processing needs can suddenly surge.

It also lets you scale IT capabilities without a significant upfront investment in physical infrastructure. This means you can increase or decrease computing resources without the delays and costs of traditional IT procurement.

Data Accessibility

Thanks to the cloud, public safety employees get instant access to job-critical information from any location. Data accessibility is particularly helpful for field agents who need real-time data to respond to emergencies and make informed decisions on the spot.

Cloud-based systems also facilitate easier data sharing across different agencies and jurisdictions (i.e. CAD-to-CAD), improving collaboration during large-scale operations or disasters .

Plus, with cloud storage, data is backed up and can be retrieved quickly in the event of local system failures. This improves business continuity and reduces downtime during important operations.

Cost Savings

By migrating to the cloud, your agency can reduce expenditures on physical infrastructure such as servers and data centers. The cloud also reduces the ongoing maintenance, storage, and energy costs of housing and cooling equipment.

Cloud services often operate on a subscription or pay-as-you-go model, allowing you to pay only for the resources you use. This can lead to more efficient budget management, as well as the ability to allocate funds to other priorities.

Lastly, the cloud lets you accomplish more with fewer IT employees, since many of the technical aspects of their jobs are managed by the cloud provider. This further reduces costs and streamlines operations.

Data Security

Most cloud providers offer security measures that are more advanced and robust than what a single agency can afford or manage on its own. This includes comprehensive data encryption, regular security audits, strict compliance standards and more.

Cloud-based solutions typically include dedicated resources to monitor and respond to threats in real-time. They also ensure that data backups are performed regularly and stored securely, reducing the risk of data loss due to system failures or cyber-attacks. This is critical for maintaining public safety services without interruption.

CentralSquare Cloud Solutions

While moving to the cloud for public safety does come with challenges, the pros far outweigh the cons. It’s normal to have concerns, especially if you’ve just started researching the benefits of emergency cloud solutions. But there’s a reason why more and more agencies move to the cloud every year – it comes with benefits like cost savings and data security that are hard to pass up. 

Some solutions, like CentralSquare, were even built specifically for the unique needs of public safety. We have a large suite of cloud-based public safety solutions. And many of them integrate with each other, so you only have to manage a single comprehensive solution (instead of piecing together multiple products from multiple vendors).

Schedule a discovery call today to learn how the CentralSquare cloud benefits your agency move to the cloud. We’d love to answer any questions you may have.