· Using First Look Pro With Dispatch Software
If your department uses a wireless dispatch system to send call information to the mobile computers in your vehicles, you may be able to take advantage of the remote dispatch feature in First Look Pro. This feature allows the First Look Pro in your vehicles to automatically navigate to a specific occupancy record that is read from a file sent by the dispatch software.
With the First Look Pro Remote Dispatch feature enabled, you will no longer have to search for an address when you are on your way to a call. When your dispatch system sends the address for the call to your mobile computer, First Look Pro will also read this information and display that occupant record automatically!
However, for this to work, your First Look Pro database must be exactly the same as your dispatch system database. Simple differences in spelling or abbreviations can make it impossible for First Look Pro to find an address, such as if the dispatch database uses Main Street and First Look Pro uses Main St. The best way to insure that these databases are the same is to first create your First Look Pro database by exporting your dispatch software database to a text file and using the First Look Pro Data Importer to bring in that exact data.
The dispatch settings are found on the First Look Pro Preferences screen (you access Preferences from the File Menu). There is a pull-down list of certain dispatch vendors, such as Northrup-Grumman and Motorola, for which First Look Pro is already configured. If you do not see your dispatch vendor listed here, have them contact The CAD Zone to learn how they can work with First Look Pro.
Remote Dispatch
To use the First Look Pro Remote Dispatch option:
1) From the File pull-down menu, select Preferences.
2) Click the Dispatch button.
3) Check the box beside Enable Remote Dispatch to turn it on.
4) Select your dispatch vendor from the drop-down list.
5) Browse to the target file (defined below) provided by your dispatch vendor which First Look Pro will need to read.
6) Enter the TCP/IP port being used, if required.
7) Select whether to activate (display) First Look Pro or First Look Pro Map first whenever an address is received from dispatch.
8) Click the Save icon at the upper-left of the Preferences window to save the settings and exit Preferences.
Here are more details on the various options on this screen.
Target File: A file supplied by the dispatch company which lists the exact address of the location for the call. You need to know where the dispatch software is writing this file on the mobile computer’s hard disk. Use the browse (folder) icon to navigate to the location of this file.
Dispatch System: Choose your dispatch system from the drop-down menu. If you do not see your dispatch company displayed in the list, have your dispatch vendor contact The CAD Zone find out how they can become compatible with First Look Pro.
TCP/IP Port: The port that is being used to receive data from your dispatch software. Not all dispatch vendors use this method of providing data to First Look Pro, so this information may not apply to you.
Activate FLP/ Activate Map: Click the radio button to choose which application is displayed (remains “on top”) whenever an address is received from dispatch.
Warn if dispatch address not found: When your dispatch system sends an address, First Look Pro searches the database and tries to display that occupant record. If the occupant is not found in the First Look Pro database, a message is displayed telling you the record could not be found. You then have the chance to search for it manually, based on the address that First Look Pro received. You can choose to turn this message off, but then you will not know when First Look Pro was unable to find an address.
Export FLP Record
The Export FLP Record option is essentially the opposite of Remote Dispatch. In this case, First Look Pro is exporting it’s current address record information out to a file which is being read by some other program. For example, the Incident Command program, FIT Notes, reads occupant information from a file created by First Look Pro. To create this integration with FIT Notes, you must set it up here.
To tell First Look Pro to create an export file:
1) From the File pull-down menu, select Preferences.
2) Click the Dispatch button.
3) Check the box beside Enable Output File Creation to turn it on.
4) Select your Receiving Application from the drop-down list.
5) Browse to the directory (folder) provided by your vendor where First Look Pro should place the file being exported.
6) Enter the filename, or select it from the drop-down list.
7) Click the Save icon at the upper-left of the Preferences window.
Enable Output File Creation: Check this option to create an output file in an .XML format. The .XML file can be used by other applications (such as FIT Notes) to import information supplied by First Look Pro.
Receiving Application: Choose the desired application from the drop-down menu. If you do not see your software displayed in the list, have your vendor contact The CAD Zone to see how they become compatible with First Look Pro.
Directory: Specify the directory (folder) where the file First Look Pro exports is to be saved. Use the browse (folder) icon to navigate to the desired location on your hard disk.
Export File Name: Type the file name of the .XML file being exported by First Look Pro, or select it from the drop-down list.
