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NEW YORK — , the leading mission-critical public safety platform, today announced the results of a U. S. national survey of first responders, revealing strong support for AI adoption, concerns about cybersecurity and a growing demand for cloud-native, data-driven, and interoperable computer-aided dispatch ( CAD ) and records management systems ( RMS ) to improve efficiency and public safety outcomes. The full study findings are included in a new that was released now.
” Public health authorities across the United States are grappling with issues such as attacks, legacy system interruptions, and the resilience and performance of their functions”, said Bob Hughes, CEO of Mark43. ” To address these concerns, first responders are seeking cloud-native, smart, and data-driven public health Autocad and RMS systems that strengthen security, improve resilience and even drive efficiency and better outcomes. A solid foundation—with a unified, opened, and integrated CAD and RMS—is essential. By leveraging Mark43’s real-time operating system, public safety authorities can create on this basis, enabling them to improve the safety, security, and quality of life in the communities they serve”.
First rescuers want AI because it will produce more accurate results.
- Nearly all (90 % ) of law enforcement support their agencies using AI, an increase of 55 % over last year’s survey. A majority ( 65 % ) believe it will improve their ability to work more effectively and productively, and a large majority (89 % ) believe AI will aid their organizations in reducing crime.
- A majority (88 % ) of law enforcement trust their agencies to use AI responsibly. This is a 29 % increase over previous year’s review.
- A majority (87 % ) of law enforcement officers believe that AI is improving the public safety sector. The reasons they cite are generally productivity improvements that include streamlining record writing, fast data processing, increased analytics, more easily locating particular crimes, and usually improving productivity.
First firefighters are concerned about resilience and security.
- Eighty-four percentage of law enforcement officials are aware that their firm has experienced a security issue in the last year. Respondents claimed that the main concerns were con calls, malware, and infections.
- Over half ( 57 % ) of first responders claim that their CAD system is typically offline for more than 10 hours a year as a result of software updates, and 54 % claim the same situation for their RMS. Furthermore, over two-thirds ( 68 % ) of law enforcement have experienced on-premises system outages due to a lack of updated technology.
- Nearly 95 percent of public health experts cited at least one technical breakdown or outage in the previous year. This is an increase of 8 % over last year’s survey.
- 85 % of first responders believe that public health organizations can be overburdened by disruptive events like electricity grid problems, hurricanes, and wildfires.
- A nearly-total majority (89 % ) of law enforcement officers are concerned about how their organizations running on legacy systems would plan to react tactically to major events like sports, political conventions, concerts, natural disasters, and cyberattacks.
- A majority of public safety professionals (83 % ) think that the general public would feel better if their neighborhood public safety organizations were required to adhere to FedRAMP, which mandates a first-class and uniform approach to security and risk assessment for cloud technologies.
First firefighters want data-driven public health for enhanced results.
- A majority of public safety professionals (86 % ) think that their organizations could improve their data reporting processes, and they cite the most important benefit being time savings.
- Real Time Crime Centers are used by 92 percent of law enforcement organizations to improve first officer and official reaction.
- The top three advantages cited by law enforcement were superior knowledge for greater potential efficiency, improved public safety, and faster response times to emergency calls. A Real Time Crime Center would benefit their agency and agencies in their community, according to 69 percent of law enforcement.
- In order to analyze internal and criminal data, 78 % of law enforcement agencies use analytics or business intelligence tools, and 87 % of them report that it would be beneficial if they were integrated into the records management system. Respondents ‘ top three advantages include facilitating case investigations and pattern identification, improving operational efficiency, and assisting them with understanding crime patterns.
- Eighty-three percent of first responders believe there should be more public transparency in terms of crime statistics and data. This sentiment has grown 26 % since 2022 in the 2023 U. S. Public Safety Trends Report.
Public safety professionals advocate for the best possible efficiency through an integrated modern platform and mobility.
- Three-quarters ( 76 % ) of law enforcement have spent more than half their shifts completing paperwork, with 70 % having to use overtime to do so.
- Eighty-eight percent of law enforcement are aware that modern, cutting-edge technology would improve their ability to serve the community.
- A nearly total majority (97 % ) of law enforcement officers believe that tools that can save time from repeatedly entering the same information into a report would have a positive impact.
- The majority ( 65 % ) of first responders have had to return to a physical location to fill out reports, which is a 7 % increase since last year’s survey. Furthermore, 55 % of surveyed first responders need to be at their agency’s office to fulfill their duties. There are, however, more flexible working arrangements that are in demand, including 80 % of emergency telecommunicators, who are more likely to advance their careers if remote work were available.
- Over half ( 51 % ) of law enforcement must submit four to six applications each day for their position. This reflects the need for integrated systems that cut down on manual processes and save time and resources in the industry.
- A majority of law enforcement officers (88 % ) believe that switching between multiple applications affects how effectively they accomplish tasks. It would be beneficial for almost all (99 % ) of law enforcement to have a single, unified CAD and RMS platform that integrates all of their current data sources.
- Eighty percent of law enforcement use their cell phones for daily work. 82 % of law enforcement would believe having CAD and RMS on their mobile devices would improve their confidence and effectiveness, while 87 percent would find it helpful to have more details about the location they are responding to on their mobile devices.
- Nearly two-thirds ( 63 % ) of law enforcement officials cited an increase in requests for record expungement as a result of new state laws, and over three-fourths ( 85 % ) found it challenging to conduct record sealing or expungement procedures in their jurisdictions.
The Mark43 2025 U. S. Public Safety Trends report includes complete survey results and trends.
The Mark43 2025 U.S. Public Safety Trends Report identifies the following emerging trends that will have an impact on public safety in 2025 and beyond: the expertise of emergency responders gathered through the survey, insights from Mark43 customers, and input from leading figures in public safety
- AI for accelerating public safety operations
- Cybersecurity and resiliency go hand-in-hand
- Data-driven public safety for improved community outcomes
- Comprehensive platform powers innovation
” In 2025, leading public safety agencies will embrace cloud-native systems and AI to enhance efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity and resilience, improve mobility, and optimize resource allocation—ultimately enabling them to serve their communities more effectively”, said Hughes.
Survey methodology
Propeller Insights conducted a national online survey of 538 public safety professionals between October 2 and October 23, 2024. Respondents opted into an online database, from there, they were targeted based on demographics. To further confirm qualifications, respondents were asked to verify their information in the survey itself with self-identifying qualifications. The maximum margin of sampling error was + /- 4 percentage points with a 95 % level of confidence.