FOLEY - The Foley City Council voted to give the approval to the Foley Police Department to purchase Southern Software’s Mobile Data Information System (MDIS) during the Monday, Oct. 18 meeting. The MDIS is a budgeted item for FY21/22, with an approximate cost of $25,000.

The system will allow the department to free up a large amount of radio time. Once installed, the MDIS will allow dispatchers to input information into a computer as they’re receiving it during a call. The information will automatically be sent to officers who will then read the information in real time as it’s entered into the system. Officers will have the ability to alert dispatchers to who is answering the call with just a click of a button, and will also have the ability to input notes and further information as needed during the response. Officers can input when the response is complete, letting the dispatcher know via computer.

The MDIS system allows on-duty officers to receive real time information on the location of other officers.

With the system currently in use, once a call is received, dispatchers must first input all the information such as call location, time, nature of the call and any further information. Afterwards, they call officers via radio to give call information to the closest available unit. Once a call is complete, responding officers must call the dispatcher to let them know the call has been handled, as well as giving any additional notes and information needed for the dispatcher to input.