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Advance Warning Systems for Soft Targets: Protecting Beyond the Classroom Walls

By Rich Castleberry

Published on

May 29, 2025

🚨 When seconds count, the right alerts can save lives. 🚨 Right now, thousands of soft targets—daycares, private schools, churches, and government buildings—are left vulnerable because they aren’t included in real-time emergency notifications. In Broward County alone, it can take 9–11 minutes for schools to go on lockdown. Private schools and daycares? They aren’t even part of the system. That’s why I am proud to introduce the Litt, Feis, Hixon Guardian Bill, legislation designed to close this gap and protect our most vulnerable. 🔹 Real-time alerts based on incident type and proximity 🔹 Automatic notification to soft targets within 60 seconds 🔹 A sustainable funding model that costs just $1 per month per child For those of us paying $300+ per week for daycare, $1 a month is a small price for a fighting chance in an emergency. It's time we stop waiting for the next tragedy to act. It’s time we protect every soft target—not just the ones easiest to reach. 📌 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eV5f-aGU 👥 Join me in pushing for real change. Share this, comment your thoughts, and let’s make this happen for Florida’s children and families. hashtag#PublicSafety, hashtag#EmergencyManagement, hashtag#SchoolSafety, hashtag#Legislation, hashtag#Florida, Castleberry Public Safety Group

Cloud vs. On-Prem CAD: Hype, Hope, and the Hard Truth About Public Safety Tech

Explore the real-world pros and cons of moving your CAD system to the cloud. In this white paper, Rich Castleberry of Castleberry Public Safety Group breaks down the differences between cloud-based and on-premises CAD solutions, reveals the hidden pitfalls of cloud migration, and explains why a hybrid approach might be the smartest path forward. Includes a readiness checklist and real case studies from large-scale deployments in Florida, Arkansas, and Bogota, Colombia.

Closest Unit Response (CUR) vs. Fastest Unit Response (FUR): Navigating the Shift Emergency Dispatch Strategies

🚨 CUR vs. FUR: Why "Closest" Isn’t Always "Fastest" 🗺️ As urban landscapes grow more complex—with train crossings, drawbridges, traffic congestion, and specialized units—many forward-thinking agencies are shifting toward Fastest Unit Response (FUR). The difference? CUR looks at distance. FUR looks at arrival time.

The Growing Use of Federated Queries in Dispatch and Real-Time Crime Centers

When I started out at BSO in the Teletype chair, we were lucky to return a probation status or a stolen vehicle hit. Today, dispatchers and analysts can pull real-time data from corrections, courts, DMV, field interviews—even ELMO bracelet locations—across jurisdictions. That’s the power of federated queries. From enhancing officer safety to streamlining real-time decision-making, this isn’t just about faster information—it’s about smarter policing. ✅ Push suspect images to handheld radios ✅ Access field interviews from neighboring agencies ✅ Know who you're dealing with—and how to approach safely ✅ Avoid vendor traps by writing capabilities into the contract 💡 I break down all of this (and more), including the Surfside Building Collapse LTE push example, in my latest piece. 👇 Read the full article and see why no RTCC should be built without this foundation. #PublicSafety #RTCC #Dispatch #LawEnforcement #FederatedQueries #Interoperability #OfficerSafety #RealTimeData #CastleberryPSG

“Dále” – The Satellite CAD/RMS Model Transforming Interoperability for Smaller Agencies

🚨Smaller agencies deserve powerful tools, too. This article breaks down the “Dále Model”—a scalable, satellite-style CAD/RMS deployment strategy I developed to help smaller agencies operate independently while staying fully connected to large regional dispatch systems like PremierOne CAD. Born in Miami-Dade. Built with speed, collaboration, and smart contracting. It’s now a model being followed by other major metros.